


As Fate Would Have It

by honeyybeelilac



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, I'm Sorry, Lams - Freeform, M/M, Modern AU, Self Loathing, Slight Smut, Slow Burn, Smut, background lams, bit of smut, frenemies alexander and thomas, hercules is sad and anxious, lams is mentioned, mentioned sex, mullette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:54:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25227883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyybeelilac/pseuds/honeyybeelilac
Summary: When Hercules looked in the mirror, he was disappointed with what he saw staring back at him. Hercules comes bearing many insecurities and deep anxieties, but upon meeting a male ballerina, he begins to see himself differently. more so, the way the certain ballerina, or danseur, perceives him. However, it's a shame that the dancer's time in America at Hercules' side is not permanent, as they come to realise that this is where they truly belong.Just a quick warning though, Hercules has anxiety, so there will be mentions of panic attacks and descriptions too. I'm sorry if this is upsetting to you, I know the feeling, though we all have to express ourselves somehow! Take care<3
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan
Comments: 29
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

Hercules Mulligan was 25 years old, yet he could not say he had achieved much in the entirety of such years. He had always struggled inwardly, but he would often suppress these feelings, as he didn't like to concern his friends. He didn't deem himself worthy of his friends concern.

When he looked at his small quantity of achievements he didn't see much. He could count them on one hand. Sure, he had his tailoring business; he was good at tailoring, but seeing as he was taught from a young age, it wasn't a surprise. If anything, it was expected of him. He expected that from himself. He personally did not see the big deal. For a tailor, he dressed more scruffy than any other tailor he had met during his several years of experience; whether through it was his apprenticeship or social conventions of sorts. They always dressed themselves well, impressive colours and expensive looking clothing. He did not dress that way, however. He preferred neutrals or dark colours like navy, wore a worn out hat everywhere he went and he wore too many hoodies, that he himself didn't even make. His hoodie collection was seemingly endless. But this way, he wasn't pretending to be someone he was not. Drawing attention to himself and dressing himself interestingly in any way would contradict who he really was, dull and bland. 

His business was the most impressive thing about him. To him though, it really wasn't impressive. But he himself, as a person, was where his disappointments lay most heavily. He had always been a rather quiet boy, bearing a small amount of friends. Panic attacks became a regular thing at the age of 16. From there things only went even more downhill. He became very introverted with only a friend or two for a long time. He never been graced with a true friend who stuck around; instead he had always been more so the friend who was there when the other needed something from him.

When he was 18 things improved for Hercules. The main reason for this was a boy his age named Alexander Hamilton. An orphaned immigrant who arrived in his home town and befriended Hercules.

It was still a surprise to Hercules that Alexander picked him. Out of everyone, all the incredibly smart people who were like Hamilton in so many ways, so many interesting and unique people he could have befriended, Alexander picked _him_. And he did not regret doing so, so he stated when Hercules voiced these thoughts out loud.

Alexander Hamilton. _His_ best friend. His first real, true friend. To Hercules' surprise, this statement applied to the both of them.

Since becoming friends with Alexander, he felt his confidence grow. Alexander was the one person who could read Mulligan like a book. He knew when the other was feeling upset or anxious, and the best thing was that Hamilton didn't make Hercules explain. He was just there. It went the same way for Alexander. There was never a time when they hadn't been there for each other when necessary. Presently, he had not had a severe panic attack in months. He wasn't perfect, nowhere near it, but he still had a lot to thank his friend for. In no way did he see it as Alexander’s job to fix him, that is to say. This was something that he had inflicted on himself, he thought. If he couldn't sort himself, it was no one else's place to try to do so for him. In saying this, Alexander definitely helped, whether he was conscious of this or not. 

When Hercules looked in the mirror he didn't like what he saw. He often overworked himself and this earned him dark circles beneath his eyes (not even half as prominent as the pair Alexander had acquired, though). He hadn't been to the gym in a year or so due to lack of time on top of his anxiety, but he was still large and toned. Less toned than he used to be. This, he couldn't stand to think about, let alone to look at; he'd let himself go and became overly picky. He picked at everything his reflection saw. And mentally as opposed to physically, things were no better. He hated how, even though he now could hold a conversation with pretty much anyone, he would nervously fumble with his fingers or the hems of his sleeves, causing them to fray and split. As a tailor, this looked bad. Most of all, he hated how he really did not deserve his friends. He was not worthy of his friends. They did so much for him, helped him in every single way they could, and he was so grateful for this, but they deserved better. He was nothing special and yet all of his friends were so special in each and every way. He was pathetic and demanded too much from them; he hated to be such a burden.

Now, as grateful for his dear friend Alexander as he was, sometimes he just wanted to find an off switch on that man and switch him off. The man could be a walking headache when he tried. A great example would be their current situation.

The atmosphere around Hercules was peaceful. His favourite coffee shop lit by small fairy lights that gave the room an inviting, welcoming characteristic, further pursued by comfortably cushioned seats. The only thing taking away from the moment was that very walking headache; Hamilton.

"Herc, please! C'mon it's a one time thing, only a few hours of your time, you're my best friend and I want you to witness this life-changing art with me!" Alexander huffed, arms folded like a damn toddler. "I swear to God, if it wasn't worth your time, I wouldn't be so adamant but I am telling you, this is purely astounding."

Hercules pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing a heavy sigh as his other hand tightly gripped the handle of his mug, "Alex, look at me. Do I look like I give two shits about the damn ballet? Do I look as though I'm going to enjoy that? Like that is right up my alley?" Sure, he appreciated the hard work that went into ballet and how easy the dancers made it look. Also, beautiful women in beautifully made costumes was right up his alley, he couldn't lie. But, he did not want to sit in a high-class theatre full of high-class people watching an expensive performance that he wouldn't understand or follow, or care about, in any way. As well as this, the seats were ridiculously overpriced, it was just money that he could not spare for something like this. He wasn't stuck for money, but he was also not blessed with it either, like Alexander was. Sometimes Alexander, ever clever and observant, forgot this.

"Just give it a chance, stop being so stubborn!" Alexander said with a roll of his eyes, "You're acting like you're too manly for this. Too manly for this, yet every Friday night you tuck yourself into a knitted blanket and watch videos of cats for hours with a big bowl of popcorn cradled to your bosom. This is the entirely same thing", Alexander gave a dismissing wave of his hand as he spoke.

Firstly, that was wrong because Alexander was the stubborn one. Hercules pulled a face, "What? No, it's not the same thing and shut up, people can hear you. That's our _secret_. I'm not too manly for the ballet, I didn't say that. However, I would neither fit in or enjoy it. Besides, I have a lot of work to finish before the end of the month, I don't have the time to sit for, what, two hours watching people be all... pretty." When he put it like that, it sort of was his thing.

"Come on, Herc, just one evening! One evening and I'll pay for your coffee and the next day you can spend it all on your work. You don't even have to see me- come on, a whole day without me! I'll even throw in a kiss."

Hercules gave an amused snort, "Uh, keep that kiss, thanks. If I agree to go with you will you shut up? Just for... ten minutes?" He sighed in defeat, rubbing his face before he looked up at his best friend, taking a sip of his coffee with hopeful eyes that were met with equally annoyingly hopeful ones.

Hamilton's face lit up and he nodded quickly, "I pinky swear to it. I will shut up, pay for your coffee, and remain silent. The whole time."

Hercules thought for a moment. It sounded fair enough to him. His deadline wasn't ridiculously tight, he could definitely get an evening off, even if he preferred not to. When he thought about it, attending the ballet with his friend did not seem so bad. Plus, Alexander wouldn't be talking much. Eventually, he caved, "Fine. I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

Luckily for Hercules, Hamilton was a man of his word. He did pay for Hercules' coffee and he, in fact, did shut up. It had been a few days since they met for their coffee and he hadn't heard much from his friend. This was a good thing as it allowed Hercules to get on with his work as well as ease the slight headache Hamilton graced him so lovingly with. 

It was quite refreshing. He'd gotten plenty of work done as he had planned, and even got a good nights sleep thrown in there, too. That was new for him.

He was in the middle of sewing a piece when he heard a firm knock at the door. He checked the time, 6pm, and knew exactly who it was and why they were there. He turned off the sewing machine and sat thoughtfully for a moment or two, debating inwardly whether or not to ignore it and continue his work; abandoning the deal that he saw the ballet with his friend. As guilty as he'd have felt for doing so, it would mean that he didn't have to see it, and that was an inviting picture.

It was as though Alexander had read his mind about ignoring him, and he stood up quickly at the sound of the door handle wiggling, and the sound of some sot of scraping. Hercules knew his best friend, and this situation, well enough to know what Alexander was doing from behind the door. With large eyes and fast feet he sped to the door, where he grabbed his keys and called out, "I'm coming- Don't you dare, Hamilton!" 

He pulled the door open in time to reveal Alexander stood, caught in the act with a metal hair pin in his hand and a suspicious look on his face. He shoved it back into his pocket and casually waltzed into Hercules' apartment, as though he hadn't just been caught trying to break in to his friends apartment. _Again_. "Hey, nice to see you too, man. You ready to go?" he hummed, raising a brow up at his friend.

Hercules gave a disapproving nod, deciding not to reprimand his friend, as clearly he didn't learn. Alexander was stubborn, he always had an excuse for his wrongdoings. Hercules reluctantly picked up his keys and jacket before they left his apartment. He had to admit, even though he was the one who had wanted the peace and quiet from Alexander, he had kind of missed his short friend. They usually met up every day, even just for a coffee, and therefore their few days spent apart, it was nice to see each other. Alexander thought the same, giving a fond smile up at Hercules, to which the other returned without question. They didn't need to voice these thoughts aloud, as their reciprocal smiles were enough to do so for them. Hercules appreciated this. He often felt out of place with people, feeling like more of a burden than a friend. But with Alexander, he didn't feel that way. Alexander knew of this, but he never spoke of it, to which Hercules was also glad for, as he didn't want to be a pain. They acted as though it wasn't there, and Alexander would more than happily make time for his best friend, without taking it personally that Hercules did not often make plans himself. When he did, he knew there was either something wrong, or he was just feeling good enough to do so himself.

The conversation on the way to the theatre was as pleasant as usual. Their conversations always flowed so easily and Hercules was glad for this. His friend was easy to talk to, easier than anyone else he knew. Conversation wasn't always something that came so quickly to Hercules. However, the two spoke and caught up with each other as though there hadn't been a day or two's silence between them. It was like they'd been there the entire time.

Once they got into the theatre and took their seats, which were a few rows back from the stage itself, Hercules began to sweat a little. The theatre was packed full of people who were very different from himself. It wasn't the differences that bothered him most, though, it was the sheer amount of people there. It made him extremely stiff and nervous. Alexander sensed this and kept talking, distracting his friend as much as he could before the performance began. The conversation was one that Hercules didn't have to put much input to, and Alexander did this calculatingly. It was enough to take his friends mind off of the growing anxiety without making him feel uncomfortable.

The first 25 minutes or so into the show did not captivate Hercules like Alexander hoped it would. He was bored, to say the least. Sure, the dancers were beautiful, but like he had said before, it wasn't his thing. It wasn't his thing for 25 minutes or so, that was until a particular dancer entered the stage. It was the first time Hercules had been able to pay attention at all. The dancer, male, was absolutely breathtaking. From the way he moved to the way every emotion was displayed on his face so evidently and believable, to the way he just... was. Dark skin and a neat bun, and dark eyelashes that were visible from where Hercules sat. He looked as though he had been hand sculpted by Michelangelo himself. He was slim but toned, long legs and feminine hands. His face was feminine but masculine at the same time, every line such as his jawline or cheekbone sitting as though such attributes were given to him by Gods. it had Hercules deeply confused but also deeply enthralled. The whole time, Hercules' interest was now on that same dancer, even when he wasn't actually moving. At one point, Hercules _swore_ that the dancer and himself had made eye contact; Hercules died a little inside.

Hercules liked women. A lot. He was a big fan of the ladies. But, there was the odd and rare occasion that he would be somewhat attracted to a male, and this didn't bother him. He didn't question it, he just acknowledged it. But, this was the most he had been attracted to a man. Maybe it was the femininity, but he didn't care. He could watch him dance forever. He didn't feel the need to put a reason behind it, however, most likely everyone in the room with him felt the same way. If they weren't, Hercules would deem them insane.

Sadly, the performance did not last forever like he had began to hope. When it ended, he felt disappointed. It ended way too soon for his liking, even if it was just over two hours and he couldn't feel his legs.

Alexander turned to Hercules, smiling fondly, "Well, what did you think? I thought that was spectacular. Did you hate it as much as you thought you were going to?"

Hercules didn't really have any words. He couldn't stop thinking about that dancer, he didn't want to forget his face. "It wasn't so bad."


	3. Chapter 3

It had been 3 days since Hercules had been given the pleasure of accompanying Alexander to the ballet. Hercules was deeply grateful, but he didn't want to admit that to Alexander. He'd never hear the end of it if he did. Hercules had been trying to focus on his work with every ounce of will he had in him, and got very little sleep and yet he still hadn't made much progress. He found that even though he had all the time in the world now that his schedule was empty, he couldn't keep his mind in a productive state for longer than 10 minutes or so. This was all down to one thing. Or, one man to be precise. That god damn dancer who had stolen Hercules' attention for almost two hours during the very same ballet performance he almost didn't attend. He was certainly pleased he had decided to do so, though in saying that, if he hadn't have gone, he'd have gotten so much work done by now. It wasn't quite a fair reality.

He couldn't seem to take his mind off of this stranger. He wanted to research the ballet company and find out whoever this person was, but he didn't want to become some creep who was obsessed with the poor guy. So, he didn't. Instead he suffered and tried to ignore the intrusive thoughts and images related to the ballerina. Just to clarify, these were not pervy thoughts. Much. It was more him admiring the beauty and talent that man had to show. Also not very fair.

He sighed in frustration, finding himself distracted from his sewing for what had to be the fiftieth time in an hour, distracted by his mind's complaints of how it wasn't fair that stranger had the beauty and grace of an angel whilst Hercules had the grace of a big toe. No matter how pressed for time he was, or how stressed he felt, his mind only seemed to be selfish enough to picture the dancer. God damn that dancer and his obnoxiously pretty face. It was ridiculous.

He glanced down at his phone as it buzzed; a text from Alexander. 'Coffee in 10?'

Hercules glanced at the mess around him. He didn't really have the time if he wanted to finish a dress by next week. He'd barely started on it. That didn't stop him from texting a quick 'yep' and grabbing his jacket.

As Hercules entered the coffee shop, he immediately headed over to his and Alexander's usual spot; two cosy little love-seats facing one another with a large oak coffee table between them.

"Wow. You look astonishingly crappy." Alexander stated it as though it wasn't kind of rude. Hercules didn't mind too much, though. The two were close enough that they could insult each other as harshly as they pleased and neither would take it to heart. Hell, sometimes it was actually refreshing. This comment though, was hardly rude in comparison to what Hamilton could fabricate on an excellent day.

Hercules rose a brow, taking off his denim jacket as he took the seat opposite his friend, "Thanks, Hammy. You look good too. Is that a new shirt?"

Alexander pulled a face that expressed his distaste towards the nickname 'Hammy' before he acknowledged Hercules' question, "Actually it is. I have a meeting with Jefferson this evening, so I decided it was important to go above and beyond with my wardrobe choices."

Hercules nodded, chuckling quietly, "Good luck with that. I hope he doesn't make you pout again when he insults it- which he will, by the way. And I don't blame him. That is an obnoxiously green shade of green, offensive actually."

"Shut up. I don't understand how you can even be _friends_ with that douchebag." Alexander whined, shaking his head, "What's he ever done for you?"

Hercules laughed, thinking for a moment, "Well, one time he handed me a napkin after we bumped into each other and he spilled wine down my shirt. Quite the hero, he even let me keep the napkin", Hercules grinned jokingly at his friend, watching as Alexander rolled his eyes, "He's not too bad once you get to know him. You only clash with him because you're both equally argumentative and stubborn. You both have the same insufferable need to be right all the time. You're like twins if you put aside the fact that you're a midget."

Alexander looked genuinely offended at his friends words, "He's way nothing like me! He's way worse. He's the devil in magenta. For that - which should be noted is pure slander and you're lucky I'm not suing you- you must go and get me a chocolate muffin", he took a long sip of his coffee before setting it down so he could follow up his point with folded arms, "And I am _not_ a midget. That's an insensitive comment to people with dwarfism, and more importantly, I am a strong 8 inches taller than the conditions height is recorded as."

Hercules shook his head, ignoring his friends comment about dwarfism and laughing quietly. Instead, he decided he would be kind and order Alexander a muffin, he pretty much deserved the muffin. He himself wanted to go and order his own coffee anyway, if he wanted to make it through the day without napping. He grabbed his wallet and stood, about to go order their coffee and muffin until something made him freeze. He stood where he was, frozen, eyes wide. He couldn't even think. He didn't think he believed his eyes, to be honest.

"Dude- what the fu-" Alexander turned his head to see what the hell Hercules was staring at, and when he saw, the realisation sunk in, causing Alexander's lips to curve into a menacing smirk.

A particular man had entered the coffee shop, dressed in a woven trench coat and a big navy scarf - Hercules' favourite colour, by the way. The man was tall and slim, hair pulled back into a neat bun. Hercules felt like he was watching an angel. It was the very same 'angel' he had sat and watched for hours a few nights ago- not to sound creepy. The last thing he wanted to do was be a creep. 

Hercules could not go up there where the dancer stood at the front counter. No way in hell. He sat back down with a heavy gulp, shaking his head quickly and muttering a quiet 'no' that Alexander barely heard. He didn't want to look away in case the man disappeared. He didn't think he'd see that face again after that show, so to see it at his favourite coffee shop was bewildering. Especially considering he was here almost every day and had never seen that man here before.

"See something you like, buddy?" Alexander teased before furrowing his brows, "What are you doing? Hell no, I want my muffin. Grow a pair and order for shits sake. Ask him out whilst you're there, too."

Hercules looked at Alexander with wide eyes. Was he insane? " _Ask him out_? You're crazy. Look at him and then look at me. So far out of my league that I'm probably just a tiny, barely visible, speck to him right now. He's... My god, he can't be real. You see him too, right? Does this mean that God is real? I mean- he's got to be some cosmic entity-"

Alexander rolled his eyes cut his friend off, snatching Hercules' wallet from his hands. He cleared his throat and straightened his shirt as he stood up from his seat, "I'll take matters into my own hands, then. Thank me later, big guy."

Hercules didn't take much notice to what his tiny friend was going on about until he caught Alexander's mischievous smirk. Oh god, this was bad. He watched with wide eyes as Alexander stalked over to the poor unsuspecting man - who was towering over Hamilton. This wasn't rare, as Alexander was short and most ladies were his height or taller, but this man must have been extremely tall, because he stood taller over Alex more than Herc did, and he was the tallest out of all of his friends. Though, he wasn't much taller than Hercules was, however a good few inches at least. This stirred Hercules' suspicions even further- no human was that tall. _Yes, definitely a cosmic being of some sort,_ he thought. Hercules was not religious, but he respected religion and quite liked the idea of it. Or at least up until now he hadn't been religious. This man was enough to make him question his entire life and beliefs.

Alexander tapped the man on his shoulder, to which the man looked down to Alex with a tilted head. Hercules sank down into his seat as he watched in despair, "Hi, my name is Alexander Hamilton. Pleasure to meet you," he hummed, shaking the mans hand with an ease and confidence that was beyond comprehension for Hercules, "See, my friend over there", he paused to point, to which the man turned his head in Hercules' direction.

Hercules had no clue what they were saying, but his face flushed a deep red when Alexander unexpectedly pointed over to himself and the dancer looked over with knitted brows. It made him feel sick to his stomach when he saw the confused look on the mans face. Sure, he'd be confused too, if he was that man. A stranger being a wing-man for some guy who couldn't get him in his wildest dreams. That skyscraper could get anyone he wanted, _no way_ would he even consider Hercules as an option. He felt incredibly stupid and rather humiliated by himself. His stomach stirred with anxiousness and dread. He looked away, unable to watch any longer.

"His name is Hercules and he's a little nervous. See... He thinks you're real cute and all, but he's too chicken to ask you out himself. So, I'm here to do that for him. You interested?" Alex smirked, winking.

The dancer's brows knitted in confusion, taking a moment to attempt to process what this man- Alexander - was saying to him. He was very knew to the English language and was not used to hearing someone speak it so... rapidly. He couldn't grasp at what the man was trying to tell him. "Sorry- I... I do not understand what you say..?"

His accent was thick. Very French. Alexander's smirk only grew, _Hercules would love that_ , he thought. Conveniently, Alexander was fluent in French. He repeated his sentence in the dancers native language. Upon doing so, the Frenchman's face lit up.

Hercules hated sitting alone in the silence whilst his friend seemed to talk the mans ears off. It only made his anxiety levels rise, mind and heart racing. His hands were starting to feel as though they were being stabbed by thousands of tiny pins, the thought of the attention being all on himself and he had no control or say, or even idea as to what was being said was overwhelming.

When Alexander finally returned with a coffee and muffin, Hercules buried his face in his hands. "Why did you insist on doing that?" he said in a quick breath, biting his lip as he tried to act as though he wasn't on the verge of a panic attack.

Alexander crossed one leg over the other, looking smug as ever, "Hmm? Herc, you should be thanking me!" He looked offended.

Hercules looked up with a confused expression, "Sorry, what now? I don't quite see your point of view, here. God, you're crazier than me, Alex."

Alexander rolled his eyes, setting down a small piece of paper before pushing it towards Hercules rather smugly, raising a brow with a cocky smirk that Hercules wished he could wipe away. Hercules stared at it for a moment before looking back up at his friend, who only gave him a shrug. He picked it up and read it slowly. What looked like a phone number and a name; ' _Lafayette_ '. Hercules' eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait... Is this... his? For me?" Alexander nodded in response, his stupid proud smirk only growing into a stupid proud grin. Hercules glanced behind Alexander, spotting the tall man - Lafayette. He was headed to the door with a coffee in hand. He glanced behind him to find Hercules looking at him, to which he smiled and gave a soft wave before leaving. That smile made Hercules' chest feel as though it were about to implode.

"Oh, he says thanks for the coffee, too", Alexander said, taking a large bite out of his new pride and joy; the muffin.


	4. Chapter 4

Hercules' face was a bright shade of red, his hands shaky. He felt very claustrophobic at the moment. Sweating and biting at his lip harshly, he stared with knitted brows at the little note that had been handed to him from Lafayette. It had almost been 24 whole hours since he was given this treasure, and he still could not figure out an explanation for the phenomenon. There was no way that guy would have willingly gave Hercules his number. Unless it was because he wanted to be friends with him? But that still didn't make sense. It's too... random. But, giving his phone number to Hercules because he had interest in him was even more impossible. That made less sense than the first idea. Maybe it was to get a laugh out of it. The thought of that made Hercules' chest feel as though it was being squeezed tightly, until every last breath of air was from his lungs and there was no room to inhale.

He stood, dropping the paper quickly rushing to the kitchen sink where he ran the tap and soaked his hands and face beneath the stream of cold water. It brought him back to the present, the shock of the cold forcing him to breathe in again. He stood over the sink, shaky and nervous. It was only a text. It shouldn't be so difficult. Hercules often found that things that shouldn't have been difficult for others was a real challenge for him. Alexander wouldn't have hesitated to text if it was him in the situation.

After a moment Hercules found some courage. Maybe it was because he compared himself to his friends and wanted to prove something, anything, to himself. Whatever it was, for a few short-lived minutes, he was grateful.

He picked up his phone and the note, typing in the number before he began to text, 'Hey. If this is the right number, this is the guy you gave your number to. Names Hercules'. He felt as though it were smooth. Pretty fuckin' smooth. He sent the text but as soon as he did the nerves came back. Less intense, but still a pain in the ass. The realisation that he could not undo his actions made his shoulders tense and heavy, like there were several heavy books stacked on top of them.

He huffed in frustration and set his phone down on his coffee table, laying down on his front on the couch. _It's fine,_ he thought. He almost wished it was the wrong number, to avoid any further embarrassment in front of Lafayette.

He closed his eyes as he focused on his breathing. Minutes past and nothing. Minutes progressed slowly and agonisingly into an hour. Then an hour and a half. Hercules was almost counting the minutes as they passed until his phone buzzed loudly. He shot up, eyes wide, mostly out of fright. He had been sat in the silence for so long that the buzz seemed ten times louder than it really was, like a massive intrusion. He stared for a moment before leaning forward to peak at the notification. He suspected an email instead of a text from Lafayette, seeing as it had already almost been two hours since he had sent the text. Surely if he hadn't gotten one back yet, he wasn't likely to at all.

To his dismay, and slight horror, it was not an email. The new contact that fell under the name, 'Lafayette', actually responded. He picked up his phone and opened the text.

'Hi! This is right number, yes. I begin to worry that you change your mind about wanting my number haha.'

Hercules bit his lip, staring at the message over and over. This had to be a joke. As if this guy thought Hercules didn't want his number? And on top of that, as if it was actually his number at all! Lafayette surely couldn't have thought Hercules did not want his number. Everyone fuckin' did as far as Hercules was concerned.

Hercules took a deep breath before he began typing again, 'Of course not. It's nice to meet you, Lafayette. Or, virtually at least. Sorry about my friend yesterday, he's a little full on, as you could probably tell. How are you doing anyway?'

After this message, the conversation began to pick up at a quick pace. Lafayette responded with what seemed to be enthusiasm, and nothing seemed to be giving Hercules the idea that it was a practical joke. Other than his own conscience. His subconscious was almost always his downfall, for any situation.

It had been several hours that they had began their virtual conversation, and Hercules was getting the hang of it. His stomach flipped each time he heard his phone buzz, but he was beginning to learn to welcome the feeling as he became more used to it.

The two had even made some jokes here and there, but they hadn't really gotten to know each other all that much. Hercules was too afraid of intruding to ask anything personal about the man. Then a particular text message arrived that had Hercules lost.

'Forgive me for asking but are you going to ask me on date, or no?'

Hercules' eyes widened at the question. How the hell was he supposed to answer that, especially when he really wasn't planning to, because look at them! Why the hell would Lafayette say yes to Hercules even if he did ask? He had no business asking someone like Lafayette out on an actual date. He was lucky enough to have been allowed his number. Hercules bit his lip as he thought. He couldn't quite concentrate as the loud and rapid beating of his heart was rather the distraction.

'What would you say to me if I did?' he sent back quickly, squeezing his eyes shut with a frustrated, strangled sound escaping his throat. Why the _fuck_ did he do that?

The dancer didn't respond for several minutes which was alarming to Hercules. Firstly, their responses had been very quick the entire time they had been speaking, and so the silence was torturous. Secondly, this confirmed that Lafayette probably did not want to date Hercules, and Hercules was being completely dumb in even teasing the idea of wanting to date the poor guy. He thought that Lafayette surely felt as sick as he did at this point, if not worse, and he could not blame the poor bastard.

Hercules dropped his phone back onto the coffee table and buried his face into a cushion, mumbling some quiet curses into the fabric. In the short amount of time they had been talking, Hercules had felt great. His anxieties died down and as silly as it sounded, he felt much less self conscious, which was peculiar. For a while, that was. Until right now. He tried to ignore the way a prickling sensation began to stir in his fingertips and his head felt as though it was spinning, breathing picking up as it began to become harder for him to breathe the more he thought about it. He felt that if he just stopped thinking about it, he'd let it go and calm down, but the thing was that he physically could not stop thinking about it- about Lafayette.

He sat up quickly, clutching his chest as he tried to force himself to breathe, straightening up to try and make it easier for air to get to his lungs, but it didn't seem to work, only making him more aware of the fact that he could not breathe.

When his phone buzzed, it made him jump. He furrowed his brows in confusion and stopped breathing altogether - stopped everything. He sat still as his skin paled, eyes stinging from not having blinked for far too long. After a long, painful minute or two, he leaned forwards to peak a glance at what had caused the buzz.

'Would say, finally, monsieur.'

Hercules took an even longer time to let those words sink into his brain. He read it over and over, the surprise within the text enough to make him abandon the panic attack that had just struck him. Finally? As in, yes? As in he had been waiting for Hercules to ask him out?

Uncertainly, Hercules responded, 'Sorry, what?'

The response from Lafayette arrived almost instantly, 'Ah, I make it more clear, no? Repeat after me, Laf, you want to go on date sometime? Friday 6pm?'

Hercules was dumbfounded. Lafayette, or Laf as he called himself, had just asked himself out on... Hercules' behalf...? Seemingly because he was growing impatient of waiting for Hercules to do it himself. He questioned whether he was getting that right, forehead getting sore from scrunching up his face in confusion for so long. He relaxed his face with a sigh before he did as Lafayette had said, responding with, 'Laf, do you want to go on a date with me sometime? Friday 6pm?'

He felt rather guilty when he realised he had slightly corrected the mans grammar. Throughout their few hours of speaking, Hercules had picked up on the fact that Lafayette wasn't the most literate person, but he did not point that out. He would never do that. Alexander would probably hate it, but Hercules didn't mind all that much. He wasn't a judgemental person, and he himself was far than perfect. So he didn't question the mans grammar or education. There was nothing wrong with him.

'I be there. Meet me at the cafe we met at, okay?'

Hercules smiled a little, in disbelief more than anything. His fingers slowly and hesitantly typed a response, 'Sure. See you there.'

'Goodnight, Hercules. I must get beauty sleep now. Thank you.'

The last text made Hercules smile, this time a warm and happy smile. It made him chuckle as he reread it. The man was witty and confident, Hercules admired that. As for the thank you, it had him confused, for he had nothing to thank Hercules for in the slightest. It should have been the other way round. Especially considering Lafayette had unknowingly calmed Hercules down during an attack through a simple text.

That night Hercules even fell asleep with a small smile, though he was drained and exhausted from the panic attack as well as the stress of the entire day as a whole. A painfully long day that ended surprisingly really well. That was rare for him. He considered himself lucky.


	5. Chapter 5

When Hercules woke up on Thursday morning he was sure that he had dreamt the entire conversation he had with Lafayette the night before. But, when he checked his phone, he was surprised to find that every word had been exchanged in reality, not a dream. For the first time in a long time, his tummy filled with nerves that weren't quite panic related. He was nervous for his date with Lafayette, sure, but he wasn't so much scared. Just yet, that was.

He had gotten a pretty good sleep, and so he started his day with a shower, a nice breakfast, a conversation with Alexander about the date tomorrow evening, and got to work. Of course his friend was smug and all 'told you so' and 'thank me again please so I can have more satisfaction from this', but he was right, Hercules had a lot to thank him for. He knew Alexander was happy for him as well as himself.

He and his new date did not speak much that day, only short conversation that Laf had initiated himself; asking how Hercules had slept and how he was feeling. It made him smile nonetheless though. The fact that he had such a good sleep and previous evening, as well as conversation that wasn't unnerving or intimidating with Lafayette, made him feel somewhat confident. He was still nervous, for so many reasons. One, this guy was extremely attractive. Two, he wasn't good at one on one conversations with people he didn't really know. Three, this was a date and he hadn't been on a date in a very long time. Fourth and final, his date was fucking Lafayette.

But when he thought about it in stronger detail, Lafayette wasn't all that scary. From what Hercules had gathered so far, he was confident and funny, but also kind. He was the one who had established their conversation that day, which both surprised and delighted the tailor. He asked how Hercules was, which showed that he actually cared about how Hercules slept and felt. It was heartwarming.

* * *

When Friday arrived, Hercules' confidence had completely left his body. He felt like he himself had left his body. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, dressed in a shirt and jeans. Smart but not too smart. He blinked at himself, then blinked again. The fuck was he doing? He felt as though he could not move as he watched himself, like he was frozen in time or something.

Alexander had phoned him to give him moral support half an hour ago, when Hercules was sat in pyjamas debating whether or not to actually go this evening. Alexander had told him to picture how Lafayette would possibly feel, or how he himself would feel if he was stood up, and that was enough to get him to change his mind. Well, partly. He still wanted to cancel, because the idea of Lafayette dating Hercules was ridiculous. That man could eat him for breakfast. But, he didn't want to do anything he wouldn't like to have done to himself. He wouldn't do that to anyone, especially not Lafayette himself. He was lucky enough to have the date, so he wouldn't blow it no matter how much his anxieties shouted for him to.

He cleared his throat, adjusting his shirt before he glanced down at his phone. It was 5.30 and he had heard nothing from Lafayette all day. He wanted to text him, make sure he hadn't forgotten about their date. But, Hercules decided it wouldn't matter if he had done so, and neither would he blame him for doing so. Now that he thought about it, Lafayette likely had hundreds of dates to remember, they were surely way more attractive than Hercules. Not that that mattered either. Whatever made him happy. Hercules didn't believe in slut-shaming.

Unless it was Alex. He didn't care what Alexander said in defence, that man was a huge slut, there was no argument there.

Hercules left his apartment, shoving his trembling hands into his pockets where he fiddled with the fabric, trying to distract himself a little. It didn't work though and as he got closer to the coffee shop his heart rate picked up so fast it probably could have given him whiplash.

He took in a sharp breath as he pulled the door open and stepped inside, the warmth of the cafe making him feel a little too hot for his liking. 

He still had 15 minutes to spare before it was 6 and nervously fidgeted beside the door for a moment as his mind raced through the worst outcomes of this evening, breathing growing more and more quick as the minutes past. His eyes flickered around the street that was outside the window, scanning the streets for signs of his date, but he figured it was too early just yet.

He was surprised when he felt a soft tap on his arm, turning in confusion to see a bright eyed, tall might he add, Lafayette standing behind him. Shit, he was even prettier up close like this. Hercules' eyes scanned the others face helplessly, noticing a few freckles around his nose.

"Oh! You're here- Uh, I didn't see you, I'm sorry.." he muttered quickly, unsure of what else he could have possibly said, though cursed himself for his awkwardness. He wished he'd at least gone over what he could have said before he arrived, but his stomach sank when he thought about Lafayette's confident demeanour, the two were far from similar in every way.

"No need to say sorry, monsieur, I have not been here long. Sit with me?' The Frenchman gave a soft tilt of his head as he asked the question, smiling brightly as he spoke. He looked beautiful. His hair was in tied back just as neatly and flawlessly as it had been the past two times he had seen him, and he wore a white shirt that hugged him perfectly in all the right places, showing off his slim and toned body and small waist. Hercules didn't mean to stare, but who couldn't? Lafayette either didn't mind or didn't notice. What struck Hercules most, though, was the strong French accent that the man carried. It made him feel ways he himself couldn't even describe. His voice was soft and smooth yet loud, and God did that accent complete everything. Of course he was French. It felt like everything made sense now, though he wasn't sure why as he didn't know a thing about France or it's people.

"I'd love to", he finally spoke, clearing his throat as the words came out sounding a little too quiet for his liking. The taller of the two paid no mind to the awkwardness or quietness of Hercules' voice, leading him happily to where he had previously been sat, his coat and scarf already set neatly on the couch. It was the same spot he and Alexander usually sat at. Hercules was grateful, it was the most comfortable area of the entire shop. It didn't cross his mind that maybe Lafayette had placed himself there purposely, having seen Hercules and his friend sat there the other day.

The two sat in an awkward silence, though the silence only seemed to be awkward for Hercules, as Gilbert seemed to thrive; smiling brightly at the other as though the silence didn't bother him in the slightest, his eyes practically sparkling.

"So, uh, you're from France?" Hercules asked softly, words coming out a little slow. He pulled his coat off as he spoke before his hands, rather clammy, immediately joined together and he fumbled with his fingers.

The Frenchman glanced down at the way Hercules messed with his hands, but did not question it, instead focusing on the question, "Oui, I am from Chavaniac! A lovely town. But, I must say, I must prefer here- New York!" he seemed to be rather excited when it came to saying New York, and Hercules loved the way the man pronounced it. Hercules couldn't help but smile.

"What brings you here?" He asked, making eye contact with the tall man, causing his stomach to stir in a more pleasant way than usual. Lafayette was much less intimidating than he looked. He was beautiful and elegant, but having a conversation with him, thus far, had been easy. He seemed to be a happy person, cheery and excitable, that made Hercules' chest feel warm.

"Ballet! I was invited to", he paused briefly, searching for the words with furrowed brows, "perform here. I could not say no as I have always dreamed of coming to America, it is all so wonderful here." There was that bright, contagious smile again. Hercules could happily sit and let Lafayette talk all day if he could. Unfortunately, this conversation was a two way thing, so he opted to respond to him instead.

"How long have you danced for? I watched the show the other night actually, you were fantastic." Hercules was surprised at how easy the words were flowing. He sat up straighter, smiling himself at the Frenchman. He hadn't been there less than five minutes, but so far it was pleasant. He was nervous, but at the same time relieved, as Lafayette was even easier to speak to in person than through texts. He dropped his hands to his knees, no longer feeling the need to be messing with them.

"Since I was eleven when I moved to live with my mother", he said softly with a nod, "She always wanted me to do ballet." Gilbert glanced aside and for a moment his smile faltered, as though he were thinking deeply. The way he spoke was sentimental, and it made Hercules wonder whether or not his mother was still with him, or if that was what he wanted for himself and his profession, or whether it was because of his mother's influence.

Hercules smiled a little wider, giving a nod. He wanted to ask why he moved with his mother, and was she still around, but he didn't want to press into such personal matters, especially not a few minutes into their first date. He didn't want to make Lafayette upset.

"What do you do, Hercules?" The way he said Hercules' name made Hercules melt. Each syllable pronounced carefully, as though it was important that he pronounced it correctly. The accent made his name sound beautiful, though he was certain that anything Lafayette said would sound that way.

"I'm a tailor. My mom taught me when I was a child", he said with a chuckle, "I set up my business two years ago, so I'm still kind of figuring things out, but so far it's going alright."

Lafayette's head tilted in curiosity, blinking at Hercules for a moment before it looked like something clicked in the mans brain and he finally understood. Hercules felt guilty for this. He wasn't sure how much English Lafayette knew, but he was certain he was struggling. "I see, so... it only is going alright, you say? Do you enjoy it?"

Hercules smiled, "More than anything. I don't want to do anything but tailoring. It'll get better, it's just... the money so far isn't great, I've got a lot I need to afford, but I'll get there."

The Frenchman smiled at this, nodding, though not quite sure how to respond. Hercules wasn't aware, but Lafayette too, was nervous, and self conscious himself. They shared different insecurities, however. Whilst Hercules was insecure about his appearance and attributes, Lafayette was self conscious of his English, "Good. So... Hercules, could I buy you coffee?"

Hercules paused before he shook his head quickly, and Lafayette looked taken aback, surprisingly his expression looked a little hurt. Hercules spoke quickly in order to get rid of that hurt expression, his heart feeling as though it was being tugged out of his chest, "No, let me, I mean. What coffee would you like?"

The Frenchman's face lit up once more, and he relaxed in his seat. Hercules was relieved. "You are kind, Hercules", there was the pronunciation of his name again; Hercules melted, "A mocha, please. Merci."

Hercules gave a smile before he grabbed his wallet and got himself an ordinary coffee and Lafayette a mocha. When he sat back down, the pair's conversation practically carried itself, Lafayette looking as though he'd been waiting the whole time for Hercules to return so he could ask more questions and continue their conversation, which was sweet. An hour in, they decided to sit down on the rug that lay between the two couches; Lafayette leaning against the coffee table with his chin resting in the palm of his hands, head slightly tilted as he watched Hercules. Hercules was pretty sure that he had smiled the entire time, and so had Lafayette. Their cheeks ached, but it still didn't stop them from grinning at each other, their eyes full of warmth.

All of the nervousness in Hercules' stomach had died and instead had been replaced with a warm, delightful feeling. He had abandoned all anxieties and his own faults as Lafayette's interesting conversations distracted him. It was dark outside now and the dim fairy lights in the cafe lit up Lafayette's face in a perfect way, causing his eyes to shine and his skin to look ever so smooth, casting warm and romantic hues across his cheeks. They were inches apart the entire evening, but it felt right.

"You have never tried a mocha?!" Lafayette asked loudly in disbelief, to which Hercules laughed and hushed him fondly, as the shop was empty other than three customers who were sat separately and quietly, "Monsieur, you have not lived!" The hushing didn't stop Lafayette, and he quickly pushed his second mocha toward Hercules, "Try this, non?"

Hercules laughed softly, looking down at the mug, about to politely decline before he looked back up at the man before him, who looked so delighted to be sharing his drink with the other. Who the hell was Hercules to crush that little look? He took the mug slowly, bringing it to his lips before humming in surprise. It was good. "Damn, why haven't I tried that before?"

Lafayette nodded quickly in agreement, pleased with himself, clearly, "See?! It is the best! You are welcome, Hercules, you have been... enlighten."

Hercules grinned, shaking his head. He adored the way Lafayette spoke, it was perfect, even if it was, to put it bluntly, incorrect. It was endearing. "Yeah, you're right. Wanna try mine?" Lafayette nodded and took the mug, staring down at it as though he were inspecting it, one eye tightly shut. Hercules laughed at the dramatics as Lafayette took a small sip and pulled a face of disgust.

"The fuck? I lose all respect for you, that is... you do not have sugar in there!" Lafayette huffed out dramatically as though Hercules had just insulted his mother, though his eyes were still kind and full of warmth, a smile tugging at his lips no matter how hard he tried to look distraught. Hercules shook his head to confirm that there was in fact no sugar, to which Lafayette set the mug down and pushed it away from himself quickly. Hercules caught it before it fell off the coffee table altogether, muttering a quick, 'Oh Jesus' as he caught it, to which Lafayette grinned. "Hercules, may I ask a question?"

Hercules looked up from where he was setting his mug back safely on the coffee table, safe from Lafayette's destructive touch. "Of course", he said, voice carrying a hint of curiosity. More so, a whole lot of curiosity. It caused Lafayette to smile.

"Well, it is my first time here, but I do want to make the most of my stay. I do not know where to start, but I want to see all of the American.." he furrowed his brows in thought before shrugging, "places. Places that are special or that you like!"

The question was sweet, and Hercules couldn't help but give a warm laugh, "Are you asking me to show you around?" He got a soft nod in response, to which he smiled wider, "It would be my pleasure. Where should I start?"

Lafayette hadn't thought that far ahead, there were so many things he'd like to see. He looked uncertainly at Hercules, who gave him a moment before speaking, "Are you hungry?" Lafayette tilted his head, thinking for a moment before nodding. Hercules spoke again, "Great. I know a perfect place. We can start there."

* * *

The two left the coffee shop, Lafayette's eyes full of curiosity as to where Hercules was taking him now. Hercules felt like a completely different guy. He wasn't dizzy or anxious, he felt as though he and Lafayette had been friends for years. It had only been two hours. Hercules was deep in thought, smiling to himself, but was brought out of this as he felt Lafayette's arm brush against his own. The man beside him looked wonderful. His cheeks were pink thanks to the cold, wrapped up cosy in his scarf and woollen coat, hands stuffed into his pockets. Hercules chuckled, "You cold, Laf?"

Lafayette looked surprised at the shortened version of his name, but it only made him smile fondly, shaking his head, "It is very cold, but I will live. Don't worry about me", he said with a wink that made Hercules' stomach fill with butterflies. Hercules rolled his eyes, nudging the Frenchman lightly.

"Yeah yeah, sure", he hummed teasingly, to which he swore Lafayette giggled. The sound was enough to make him feel the slightest bit dizzy.

They walked, arms brushing continuously in the most comforting way in which Hercules swore Lafayette was doing purposely by the way the Frenchman kept glancing down at Hercules' arm and stepping closer. If Hercules had any self confidence, he'd know for sure Lafayette was doing this purposely, possibly trying to gain the confidence in himself to wrap his arm around Hercules' own, unsure of how to ask. They joked around and laughed together as they did so, before Hercules nodded to a lit up building, "This is it", he hummed. Lafayette glanced away from Hercules, looking at the building in front of them.

Lafayette read aloud, "Gino's..?" he hummed, voice full of curiosity before his eyes lit up, "Ah! American takeout, non? Like... pizza!"

Hercules grinned at the excitable man stood beside him, "Exactly that. So, what pizza would you like?" In response he was given a thoughtful glance.

"What do you like?" Lafayette asked quietly. Hercules rose a brow, but smiled. This man was so adorable it was almost unbearable.

"Come on", Hercules took Lafayette's hand, gaining a surprised look in response, but Lafayette didn't pull away. Instead, his cheeks grew an even brighter shade of pink, and gave the hand a small squeeze, his cold hands fitting nicely into Hercules' warm hands. Hercules led him inside, to which he was greeted by the woman at the counter with a familiar tone.

"Herc! Nice to see you, you having your usual?" The brunette asked, eyes warm. She then took a glance at the Frenchman beside Hercules, and Hercules' face grew red too, knowing what was about to come, "Ooh, you on a date, huh? Well, I'll guess you want two of those, huh? Who's this fine gentleman?" she teased.

Hercules smiled shyly, letting go of Lafayette's hand, to Lafayette's disapproval, "Lafayette, this is my friend Maria. Maria, this is Lafayette."

Lafayette smiled warmly, giving a wave, "Ah! Maria, it is nice to meet you. I did not think you looked like a Gino. I was confuse."

Maria laughed, and so did Hercules, both fondly. "It's great to meet you too, Lafayette. And no, I am no Gino. Gino does not exist."

Hercules chuckled, taking out his wallet before setting the money down on the counter, "Make it two of the usuals please, Maria." He said politely, looking back at Lafayette to flash him a smile. Lafayette stepped closer to Hercules, returning the smile.

The two were in the pizza shop for 10 minutes, chatting with Maria as she made up their pizzas. As they said their goodbyes and Hercules carried the boxes, he opened the door to allow Lafayette to exit first. Lafayette smiled gratefully before he gasped dramatically, causing Hercules to quickly follow in concern.

"Merde! It is raining!" He huffed, knitting his brows angrily, quietly muttering in French, which Hercules could not comprehend, but he didn't presume they were words of gratitude towards the rain.

Hercules laughed, shaking his head, "Don't worry, my apartment's only down the street, we can eat there." He did plan to take Lafayette to a park to eat their pizzas, thinking it would fit in with their evening nicely, but he didn't mind. At least they'd be warmer.

As they stepped into Hercules' small apartment, Lafayette gave a small gasp. Hercules blushed in embarrassment, scratching the back of his neck as he set down the pizza boxes on the kitchen counter. "Yeah, it's not much... I don't really have enough money for a bigger place, or even a nicer place-"

Hercules was cut off by a beaming Lafayette who looked ecstatic, "An American apartment! It so different from mine, wow, Hercules it's-" he glanced around the kitchen in what seemed to be amazement before he looked back at Hercules, looking utterly in awe, "Beau!"

Hercules blinked with a blank expression, his reaction rather comical. Hercules' reaction did not deter Lafayette's enthusiasm in the slightest, and Hercules smiled warmly, "Thank you."

By 9pm the two men were sat on Hercules' small couch, feet on the coffee table as they ate their pizzas. They had put on a film, however the film was abandoned quickly when they began to speak again. From there the conversation was non-stop, everything flowing easily as they bounced from one topic to another with ease. By 11pm, Lafayette was yawning as he set his empty pizza box down beside Hercules' own. Neither wanted Lafayette leave, but they were getting tired and that was evident. Especially by the way Lafayette seemed to curl into the couch, blinking slowly, as though he were struggling to stay awake. The sight made Hercules feel guilty for keeping Lafayette so long as he probably didn't want to be rude by leaving. Though at the same time, Lafayette looked so sweet and small like this. He gently nudged Lafayette's knee, causing the Frenchman to give a hum and glance up at him.

Hercules was about to say something when Lafayette spoke instead, "Your eyes, Hercules, are very pretty." he said slowly, tilting his head slightly as he stared into Hercules' eyes. Hercules' cheeks heated up and he looked away with a chuckle, shaking his head in disagreement.

"Mine? Nah, you're silly. Yours are, though. No argument there." Lafayette furrowed his brow at Hercules' response, nose scrunching a little.

"You do not think you have pretty eyes? Dieu, they are the prettiest. Trust me, I do not lie." He hummed, voice seeming rather stern this time, causing Hercules to watch him with an apprehensive look written across his face. "Hercules, I am very grateful for this evening. It has been amazing. Merci, for it all, but I must go now, or I will fall asleep here and good luck waking me if I do", he hummed, smirking now.

Hercules laughed, standing with a small stretch, "Thank you, Laf. I'm glad you enjoyed it. How about I walk you home?"

Lafayette was about to shake his head before he looked a little worriedly, looking aside. "Actually.. that would be... um, good. I do not know how to get back from here", he muttered shyly, looking rather upset by this.

"Hey, it's not a problem. Where are you staying?"

* * *

The walk back to Lafayette's hotel was pleasant, the two engaging in light conversation yet again, but this time, Lafayette had wrapped his own arm around Hercules' own, leaning against the shorter man slightly as they walked. Hercules smiled, his free hand giving Lafayette's own a squeeze as they walked arm in arm. Once they had reached the hotel, they parted and Lafayette displayed his gratitude once more, standing close to Hercules. Hercules couldn't help but notice how close they were, though he didn't want to step away. His eyes flickered down to Lafayette's lips, inches away from his own. When he looked back to Lafayette's eyes he noticed that he was doing the same; watching Hercules' lips. They were still and quiet, though the silence was pleasant, preoccupied by their thoughts. When Lafayette stepped a little closer, that was when Hercules pulled away, clearing his throat. He didn't want to overstep the boundaries between them both and make Lafayette uncomfortable. Lafayette frowned, looking a little offended, though Hercules didn't notice due to the dimly lit street.

"Goodnight, Lafayette. Thank you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

It was 7am on Saturday, and following up from the late night Hercules had gotten the night before, he was not keen on being awake at that point in time. The only word he had for it was livid.

What had disrupted his oh so peaceful sleep was a god damn _nightmare_ in green. Hercules grabbed his phone from his nightstand, grumbling as he finally answered the call from Alexander, who had been trying to get a hold of him at this ridiculous time for 15 minutes now.

"Oh my god, what do you want from me?" Hercules huffed, sitting up reluctantly as he ran a hand through his short, curly hair, "Have you seen the time? Do you honestly think it's acceptable to phone me at this hour?" He paused to look towards his window, a gap between the curtains indicating the fact that it was still dark out, "Alexander, it's not even light out."

Alexander allowed his friend to rant, barely paying any attention to his words before he set down his mug of coffee and spoke once he was done, "How was your little date last night?"

"What?" Hercules asked in confusion before his eyes widened, his stomach doing flips of sorts as he recalled the events of his date. It was a perfect date, now that he thought about it. Due to his rude awakening, he hadn't gotten the chance to think about it until now. He smiled slightly, his mood lightened, "Ah- yeah... it was... actually, it was pretty great. We had coffee and then got a pizza and sat on my couch, just talking for hours, Alex. I've never had that- romantically, at least. It was perfect."

Alexander made a fake gagging noise, though when he spoke the smile was evident in his tone, "I'm glad, man. It's about time you had a date. A hot one, too." Hercules made a grumble, causing Alexander to grin, "I will stay away from him, he's yours. Have you organised another date?"

Hercules furrowed his brows with a light scoff, "No, Alexander. It's 7am, who the fuck asks someone on a date first thing in the morning? I don't want to look like I'm all... keen. Besides... it's not a good idea that I do, anyway."

Alexander sounded shocked to the core at the last part, "What? Where did you get that bright idea? You just said your date went well! Go on another!"

Hercules pinched the bridge of his nose, "Alexander, look. I like him. Yeah, it went well, but that doesn't mean anything. He probably doesn't even want to! I don't want to get myself into a situation that I know will end badly for me." He said with a sigh, before frowning, sadness clear in his voice, "Besides, he isn't living here permanently. He's going back to France, soon."

"He's going back? When?" Alexander responded quickly, sitting up in his seat as he spoke. The thought that Lafayette wasn't staying in America forever stupidly hadn't occurred to him, and he felt guilty now. He blamed himself for starting this whole thing that would get his best friend hurt.

"In a month. He's here for a month and then he's going back, and probably never coming back. He said this was the only chance he got to come here, last night. If I get to know him anymore I'll just be even more devastated when he leaves, Alex. So, no. No more dates. I think I should leave it alone."

Alexander was silent for a moment before he sighed, "Maybe you're right." he wasn't sure he entirely agreed, but he didn't want his friend to be hurt by the inevitable fate that lay ahead of their relationship. "Hey, don't sound so sad. I know what will cheer you up."

Hercules laid back down, shaking his head, "What is it?" he knew this was probably going to be a bad idea. Hamilton's ideas usually were bad.

"A party, my large friend. Jefferson's throwing a party, for what ever reason I do not care, but we're invited. By the looks of things he's invited everyone he knows, but it should be good. You in?"

"No." He hummed, chuckling quietly, "Don't get me wrong, his parties are always good. But every year I leave that estate with no memory of what happened, I tell myself every time that I will not party with Jefferson, and this time I'm going to follow through with my promise."

"Oh my god-"

"Alright fine, I'm convinced. What time?"

* * *

Hercules' least favourite thing was crowds and interacting with large amounts of people. It made him hot and shaky, it always ended in a shitty situation on his side of the coin. But for Drunk Hercules, it was his favourite. Drunk Hercules was friends with everyone, and was absolutely fearless. After a few beers he was almost as sociable and talkative as Alexander, only with much more control over what he said, and significantly less annoying. And he knew when to shut up. It was rare that he would turn down a party or night out of any sort.

Waking up on his kitchen or bathroom floor in the middle of the afternoon, usually a tie around his head a drawn on moustache, was an annual thing of sorts. No matter what the occasion was, Thomas Jefferson would throw at least one party at some point in the year, where everyone would get into the same, ridiculously messy state and no one would judge. It was fantastic. It allowed Hercules to let off a lot of steam and as crappy as he felt the next day, the fact that he clearly had a great night made things feel lighter for him. It was better than counselling. 

It was 7pm, and Hercules had not heard a thing from his date from last night. He did not want to message Lafayette first, and he took the mans silence as a hint to leave him alone and never speak of the date ever again. It made his chest feel a little tight, but at least he had this party to look forward to. He would hopefully get so utterly smashed that he would forget the date even happened. Maybe so bad that he forgot about the man altogether, that would be a great help to him.

When 8pm came by, Hercules met up with Alexander, where they walked to Jefferson's estate together, several bottles of anything they could find in their arms. Hercules was the one who rang the doorbell, as Hamilton's arms were way too full. The door swung open to reveal a red-faced Thomas Jefferson, who was bent slightly as he leaned against the door, clearly already in a drunken state. Hercules grinned.

"Oh my, you're here. Good to see you Herc, Hamilton not so much", his words were slow and slurred, hiccuping slightly as Alexander muttered a little 'fuck off' as they stepped inside.

They took their coats off and set their bottles down, Hercules immediately opening a beer. If he was going to be talkative, he had to be a little drunk first. Alexander patiently waited for Hercules as they drank alone, joking lightly about anything that came to mind.

Two beers in, Hercules felt a little more ready. He wasn't drunk by any means, but he was feeling more prepared now for the messy night ahead of him.

He headed into the large living room where everyone stood around, chatting away and joking. He was just grateful that he knew pretty much all of the faces there, besides from a couple, but he didn't dwell on that.

Alexander was much smaller than Hercules. His alcohol tolerance was ridiculously... intolerant. His friends would joke that this was thanks to the fact that Alexander was so small. After two beers, he was giddy with pink cheeks, ranting about shit that Hercules really didn't give a shit about before there was a sudden distraction.

"Watch where you're going, Hamilton", Thomas was the one who had bumped into Alexander, and he looked down at the shorter man with great dislike written all over his face. Hercules noted that it was most likely done on purpose; Jefferson wanting some sort of beef with Hamilton.

"I wasn't even the one moving, asshole." Alexander spat back, disbelief evident in his voice. 

Hercules stepped away from the two quickly, that was someone elses problem. Either theirs or a good Samaritan who didn't want to see the two to in a physical fight. It would most likely be Burr and Madison pulling the two away, and Hercules knew that at some point he would have to step in to drag his tiny yet ferocious friend away from Jefferson. Hercules didn't feel like finding out. It happened every single time, it wasn't exactly new. Hell, they'd fought worse when sober and in their place of work, so to be honest, this was barely concerning.

Hercules turned around the corner to enter the kitchen when he bumped into someone else, quickly stepping forward as the person stumbled. Hercules grabbed their waist tightly without thinking, just as a way of making sure they gained their balance back and did not fall to the ground.

"Shit, sorry man", Hercules said quickly as the person gripped at his shoulders, pulling himself upright where he stood. The two were so close to that their chests were pressed together. After a moment, Hercules looked up to the persons face, eyes widening a little.

"Do not apologise, Hercules, it was equally my fault", spoke Lafayette, flashing him a warm smile. The mans cheeks were dusted with a pink blush as he tilted his head at Hercules. Lafayette did not move back or let go of Hercules' shoulders, one of his thumbs lightly stroking the muscly shoulder from above the shirt Hercules wore. It was Hercules who removed himself, deciding their position was rather dangerous. He reluctantly let go of the slim waist and stepped back, to which Lafayette's lips curved downwards, but he too stepped back.

"Oh, hey", Hercules gave a laugh, but could not get rid of the awkward air between the two, and this time it seemed Lafayette sensed it also. It was an awkwardness that neither of them knew how to shift; awkwardness risen by their date that neither had acknowledged, but were both aware that neither had made another move to speak to each other again.

"Hey", he finally spoke, his smile small. "Um... how are you today?"

Hercules shrugged before nodding, taking a large sip of his beer, "I'm pretty good thanks. How about yourself?"

Lafayette thought for a short moment before he gave a soft hum, "I am also good. I uh..." he bit his lip, glancing away from Hercules with an unreadable expression, "I enjoyed last night. Thank you again."

Hercules watched the other, for some reason feeling rather guilty. "I enjoyed it too. No need to thank me", he chuckled, and Lafayette met his eyes once more, giving another small smile.

"I-I see you around, oui?" he asked, his voice quieter this time, uncharacteristic for Lafayette. Hercules was lost for words, and so he only gave the other a soft nod. Lafayette stepped past Hercules slowly, where he left the kitchen and headed elsewhere. Hercules' chest tightened and he bit his lip, now feeling incredibly guilty.

He sat down at the bar, brows knitted. He wasn't sure why he felt guilty, because he was all but sure that Lafayette did not want to see him again. But, the possibility that Hercules had upset the man by not texting him played on his mind, something he hadn't actually considered until seeing Lafayette act strangely in comparison to the bright eyed, beaming Laf he had been with the night before. Perhaps it was just that the Frenchman had too much to drink.

* * *

Hercules, of course, was smashed by the end of the night. He expected nothing less of himself. He did not anticipate that he would have to carry Alexander home, though. Luckily, Hamilton and Jefferson did not engage in a fistfight that evening, in fact they surprisingly resolved it, something that no one who was present in the party had expected in a million years. By the end of the night, the two new friends where almost in tears as they said their goodbyes, a disbelieving Aaron Burr stood wide-eyed and numb beside them. Burr had endured a _lot_ that night.

Hercules got to hear the entire story on the long walk back to his own apartment; Alexander clinging to him like a child as Hercules carried him bridal-style. "So- so then Burr suggested shots! So we did shots- Jefferson can sure drink, Herc!" he gasped, eyes closed as he spoke, "Look, we drew matching pictures of-" he pulled up his sleeve, forgetting what they had actually drawn, but as Hercules curiously glanced down at the mans arm to see what it was, he couldn't actually tell. It was just... squiggles that had been smudged, making it even more impossible to determine what the final product actually was. "We're best friends now."

Hercules knew Alexander would take that back in the morning, but Hercules would never let this go.

"But then, Jefferson passed out for an hour, right? So Burr and I kept doing shots until this guy- Laurence or something... Maybe Lorenzo, he joined in. Herc, he had so many freckles. These pretty eyes- I kissed him, Herc. Of course I did, don't worry, and he wrote his phone number somewhere- I think on my stomach." He finally stopped talking to pull up his shirt, the actions almost causing Hercules to drop him. Hercules glanced down at the messy writing, laughing softly.

"I think it's pronounced _Laurens_ , Alex."


	7. Chapter 7

Hercules woke up with one of the worst headaches he had ever had in his entire life. It was an unpleasant surprise, because he had felt better after worse nights out. It wasn't fair that he made it home in one piece and remembered plenty of the night but felt worse than he had after parties that he didn't even remember waking up for. He sat up and winced, surprised to find himself less messy in appearance than he expected to be. There was only half a moustache and there was no tie in sight. He stood, stumbling through to the kitchen where he got himself a glass of water and painkillers. He remembered very little from the night before, other than carrying his pain in the ass friend home.

Speak of the devil; Hamilton stumbled through, knocking over a chair in the process, causing a loud crash that physically hurt Hercules' ears. "Shut the fuck up, man", he winced as he automatically picked up a glass for Alexander too, filling it with water before sliding it across the counter, where Alexander caught it.

Alexander took it gratefully with a grumble, "It wasn't me." he closed his eyes as he took some painkillers too before downing the water in one gulp.

The two stood silently with their heads in their hands for several minutes before either spoke. Alexander was first to break the silence, "What the fuck _happened_?"

Hercules thought for a moment, shaking his head. "I remember carrying you home... _Oh._ Please, look at your arm right now." Hercules was now smirking, the memories of what Alexander had babbled on about flooding back to him. He forgot all about his headache, because now would be the best moment of his entire life.

Alexander furrowed his brows in confusion before he lifted his sleeve with a yawn, blinking confusedly at the messy sprawl of ink that lay on his wrist. "The fuck is that?" he hummed before his eyes widened. He looked up at Hercules in horror, who's expression confirmed that it was true; he and Jefferson had now become 'best friends', if he recalled correctly. "Oh fuck off! Get this shit off me now", he ran the tap, scrubbing quickly at the ink as Hercules laughed obnoxiously, smacking a hand down on the counter.

"You know, if I wasn't so pleased about this, I'd actually be offended at you calling Jefferson your best friend. But _this_. This is fantastic. In fact, I'm going to make a plaque to commemorate it."

"Fuck off", Alexander grumbled, flashing a glare at his friend before he sat down at the counter with a heavy sigh, "I'll be honest, I did not see that coming."

"Neither did I, Alex", Hercules joined him and smirked, sipping his own water, "But I can tell you now, I'm fucking ecstatic."

Alexander stuck his tongue out in response, shaking his head slowly before yawning. Hercules sat and thought for a moment before raising his brow, "Last night you said something about kissing someone?"

His friend blinked up at him before furrowing his brows in thought, to which it took a full minute for him to recall and he peered down at the ink on his stomach, where a phone number and a name was written, "Ah, yeah. Damn. He was hot, Herc, did you see him? His hair was curly and-"

"Freckles, yeah, you mentioned those last night. And his pretty eyes." Hercules finished, chuckling quietly with a shake of his head, "You gonna call him?"

Alexander hummed in thought, shrugging softly, "Yeah. I mean, why not? He was into me, I was into him.. I've got no reason not to do so." Hercules watched his friend; the way he could come to a decision like that so simply, no nasty thoughts played on his mind and contradicting every instinct or thought he had. It was yes or no. He was certain this guy was into him. But Hercules, even when Lafayette said he wanted to go on a date with Herc, was convinced otherwise. Even with the evidence right in his face he refused to believe it, or even consider it being true.

"Alright", Hercules hummed in agreement, though it was clear his mind was elsewhere; Lafayette. Guilt rose in his stomach once more as he thought about their exchange at the party, it was brief and awkward, but worst of all, Lafayette was the opposite of what he had been like on their date. Unreadable at most points. Hercules thought maybe it was the alcohol, but he wasn't so certain. He thought that most likely, it was his own fault for not texting him. But that was wishful thinking.

Alexander seemed to read his mind, "What's wrong, big guy?"

"Just..." Hercules sighed softly, resting his chin into his hand, "I saw Lafayette last night."

Alexander sat up and looked over at his friend, his eyes wide with surprise, "Wait what? What happened? Why aren't you pleased about that?"

"I mean, I am. I'm glad I saw him. But he wasn't himself, he seemed kind of... sad. He was all... 'see you around'. On our date he was so easy to read- he was so happy. Cheerful, like some sort of ray of sunshine, but last night he was awkward and really quiet. We only spoke briefly, so maybe I just caught him at a bad time."

Alexander rolled his eyes, "Okay, you considered yet that it may be because his hot date didn't text or call him and he felt like crap about it?"

Hercules sat up straight now, folding his arms defensively, "No, because it's not true. He didn't text me either, so he clearly didn't want to speak to me. Maybe that was it- he didn't want to speak to me." that thought alone was enough to make him frown and he quickly looked away from his friend, hoping the other did not see.

Alexander saw everything though, "Hercules, text him. Seriously. Come on, what the hell have you got to lose here? So what if he says no? Just turn a new page! But, for what its worth, from what you've told me, I would confidently say that he's into you. And I bet he's upset because you didn't bother texting him, maybe he thinks you don't care. Think of it this way, you didn't want to text him first because of... whatever", he shrugged, hand waving dismissively, "Maybe it's the same for him."

Hercules brought his gaze back to his friend, carefully listening. What Alexander was telling him only gave him hope. Alexander was usually - almost always - right. In everything he said. But in saying that, there was usually a 10% chance he was wrong. Rare, but it happened. As well as this, Alexander wasn't on that date, he didn't get to know Lafayette, so what he was saying, he really didn't have a clue about.

The thought of forgetting about this, and this being his final exchange with Lafayette made him hurt. He didn't want it to end like that. Suddenly, he began to think more positively. _He didn't want it to end this way_. He didn't want to throw away his shot at whatever this was with Lafayette.

"Dude, are you listening to me at all?" Alex huffed, resting his head against the cool counter top.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking", he hummed, watching his friend quietly before his stomach began to twist nervously, "I'm going to text him."

Alexander shot up, "Really? God- finally. It took you long enough, Herc", he grinned, "I'm always right, see."

Hercules rolled his eyes and took a few minutes of searching the apartment- without Alexander's help, because Alexander was an asshole - before he finally found his phone. He bit his lip as he clicked on Lafayette's contact, sitting back beside Alexander.

The man helped him compose a text to Lafayette, which resulted with, 'Hey, it was great seeing you last night. Was just wondering if you wanted to see each other again sometime?'

Alexander forced Hercules to fist bump him, which almost made Hercules sick. It was then that a sudden question struck him, causing his head to tilt sideways.

"What?" Alex asked quietly, only half interested as he flicked through the channels on Hercules' tv.

"Why was Lafayette even at Jefferson's last night?" Hercules asked slowly, earning a glance from Alexander.

It took a moment before Alexander adopted the same confused and questionable look on his face, abandoning the tv. "Huh", he said softly before giving a soft shrug. "Maybe he stalked you."

Hercules looked at the other as though he were stupid, to which Alexander grinned, "Shut up. Seriously though. Are he and Thomas friends or something? How would they even know each other?"

Alexander looked at Hercules with furrowed brows, arms folded and his shoulders squaring defensively, "How the hell would I know?"

This only caused Hercules to smirk, "Because you're his best friend now."

* * *

It wasn't long until Alexander left to go back to his own home and sleep, leaving Hercules alone to his thoughts. He showered and climbed back into bed, feeling too tired to do anything else. He was drifting off when his phone gave a soft buzz, to which he picked it up to check what it was; Lafayette.

'Hercules! Where are you taking me this time?'

Hercules smiled, chuckling softly before he responded, 'How about some sight seeing and a meal? My treat'

The response he got was almost instant, it made his chest fill with emotions that he couldn't comprehend- all a little too overwhelming. 'You are sweet. I cant wait to see you again.'

Hercules was quick to respond too, 'Me neither. You free tomorrow night?'

They settled on tomorrow afternoon, and Hercules napped happily. He even slept happily that evening too. For some reason, he felt the happiest he'd probably felt in a long time. He knew their date would be great, and he silently thanked Hamilton for yet again setting him up.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hercules!" he heard a loud familiar voice call out to him. He turned to see the Frenchman grinning excitedly at him as he headed towards Hercules, to which he gave a chuckle and a soft wave. He was surprised when Lafayette hugged him, kissing his cheek, "I was so excited that I sleep shit last night!"

Hercules laughed softly as he wrapped his arms around Lafayette's waist, happily returning the hug with reddened cheeks. Lafayette was a damn good hugger. He gave him a soft squeeze, "I was looking forward to this too." he admitted, before stepping back with a warm smile across his cheeks.

They had decided to meet at Hercules' favourite park- the one he had planned to take Lafayette on their first date but ended up going back to his apartment due to the rain. For a winter afternoon it was surprisingly warm. The skies were clear and the sun was peeping out at them, giving Lafayette a beautiful glow. It seemed that Lafayette was enjoying the weather, as he closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the suns warmth to rest on his face. When he opened his eyes again, they fell on Hercules, and he smiled softly. Slowly, he peered around the park.

"Wow, it is beautiful, Hercules. Are all parks like this one?" he asked softly, his slender fingers gently brushing across a few flowers that lay beside him.

"Some look alike and in all honesty, this one isn't known for being the nicest one in New York, but it's my favourite", he hummed with an embarrassed smile, scratching the back of his neck.

Lafayette brought his gaze away from the flowers and back to Hercules, now holding a bright blue flower he had picked, causing a warmth to flow through Hercules. "Why is that?"

"Why it's my favourite?" he asked, to which Lafayette confirmed with a nod before he shrugged, glancing aside, "My mother used to take me and my brother here. Before we moved to New York, my mother would tell us all these dreams she had, like taking us for picnics in parks, and running her own little business that me and my brother could help her out with. When we did move here we did exactly that", he smiled warmly at the fond memories before shaking his head, feeling stupid for being so sentimental and bringing Lafayette here when it meant nothing to the Frenchman. There were much nicer parks that he was sure Lafayette would have appreciated, "It's stupid. It just makes me happy, I guess.. but we can go elsewhere, if you'd prefer. There's another park down the street, it's much prettier. I didn't really think about how dumb this was until now."

Lafayette smiled as he listened to Hercules. He felt a little silly, self conscious as he struggled to make out some things that were said, but it didn't matter when Hercules looked so happy. Lafayette took some guesses and brushed it off, "No, no. I like it here. I don't want to go anywhere else with you, Hercules", he hummed, and Hercules melted at the way Lafayette smiled so cheerily at him. "Do you still go here with your mother? For, you say, picnic?" the way Lafayette pronounced 'picnic' was with great struggle; he wasn't quite clear as to what it actually meant. It came out more 'peek-nac', but Hercules felt himself smile brightly, his chest filling with a great warmth. He thought that the way Lafayette pronounced things was perfect.

"Not anymore. When I was 18, she passed away", he hummed, and Lafayette's eyes widened a little, "It's okay. She's in a better place. She got to do everything she dreamed of, so that's what matters."

Lafayette's eyes softened, he really didn't mean to bring up any sad memories for Hercules, but the other appeared to be okay and so he let it go, "I'm glad that she got to do all of that. She sounds like an amazing woman, Hercules. She raised a... _merveilleux son"_ Hercules even blushed at that. My mother passed away too, when I was 16. My father when I was 2."

"Yeah, she is. Thank you", he smiled, before frowning slightly, "I'm sorry to hear that, Laf."

"Do not be. They are in better place, too. They would not like what the world has become" he hummed, flashing Hercules a reassuring smile, and Hercules gladly returned it. "This park is big, non? Where is your favourite part of it?"

Hercules began walking, Lafayette following at his side. Hercules couldn't stop smiling, despite the unpleasant topic of the conversation, it was comfortable on both sides of the chat. For what it was worth, Hercules did not enjoy the pitiful responses he often got when he told people about his mother, and so he was glad that with Lafayette, it was different. They were at a point where they understood each other, and they recognised that they were both okay. They didn't hesitantly pry, afraid of upsetting each other. It was nice to be at that level with someone. He didn't often discuss this topic with Hamilton; who was orphaned. With Hamilton's own situation though, he was less than at peace with. Hamilton had a PTSD disorder, due to a hurricane that corrupted his home town, and from watching his mother die a death that was far from natural; with himself on deaths doorstep, helpless and unable to help his own mother. Hercules and Alexander did not often discuss his home life, as Alexander simply wasn't okay with it. Hercules wasn't surprised, but he wished that for Alexander's sake, he was at peace with everything that had happened. It would mean less suffering for his friend. But, he was patient, because Alex was getting better, after years of suffering.

"Here", he started as they got further into the park, having walked in a comfortable silence as Lafayette glanced around in awe. He seemed to love the park just as much as Hercules did, and when Hercules spoke, his eyes flickered back to look at Hercules, "My mother would take us here. Right under that tree. We'd sit and eat, play games, for hours. Every week. It was perfect."

Lafayette smiled, taking his eyes off Hercules to finally look at the tree. It was extremely tall and ancient looking. The Frenchman walked up to the tree, smiling brightly before his eyes spotted something on the tree. He crouched down to where he spotted initials carved into the tree, H.M. He looked back at Hercules, who joined him on the grass, looking to see what Lafayette pointed to.

When he saw it, he laughed softly, eyes lighting up. He had forgotten about that. When he had first moved to America and he, his mother and brother, visited this place, his brother and himself fell in love with the spot immediately. It was the happiest week of their lives, when they moved here. They wanted to leave their mark, and decided to carve the initials they shared onto the tree. He had neglected this memory, and as he ran his fingers over the initials that surprisingly remained, his memories flowed back. He welcomed them happily, and Lafayette watched the other in a fond silence, not wanting to disturb Hercules from these happy thoughts.

Lafayette sat down and leaned against the tree, to which Hercules looked away from the tree and watched the Frenchman. Lafayette noticed Hercules staring and turned his head to look back at the other, smiling widely at him. Hercules returned the smile and sat beside him, their hands resting close to one another's on the grass.

"Hercules, where did you come from?" Lafayette asked softly, head still turned and intent on watching the other man as he thought about what Hercules had said, 'moved to New York'.

Hercules did the same, tilting his head to look at Lafayette, eyes not even subtle about the way they gazed from Lafayette's eyes to his lips, to his nose and freckles, admiring the others beauty. "Ireland", he said with a smile.

Lafayette's eyes widened in surprise and he grinned, "Wow! Do you ever miss it?" he hummed, scooting to sit a little closer to Hercules, to which Hercules didn't mind in the slightest.

"Not really, but I don't remember much of it, to be honest. It's better, here. I have more memories, friends, a life. From what I remember, back in Ireland we didn't have much. We made our lives here."

Lafayette listened carefully to Hercules' soft spoken words. He was certain that if he was relaxed enough, Hercules' deep and smooth voice could lull him to sleep. Not because he was boring, but because he was so relaxing. Even just being around Hercules gave him an odd sense of calmness that he was grateful for. He was rarely calm, his friends at home would describe him as wild or even a madman. In a kind way, though. "I wish I could stay here", with you, he wanted to add, but left it out.

Hercules noted that at some point when he was speaking, Lafayette's hand had crept closer to his, so close that their fingertips were touching softly. He looked down at Lafayette's actions, taking notice of the fact that the other had done this intentionally. He took a moment before he brought an end to Lafayette's uncertain shuffling, his own hand taking Lafayette's and lacing their fingers. Lafayette smiled at that, giving the hand a small squeeze.

"Hey, at least you'll be going back home", he hummed reassuringly, to which Lafayette gave a sad smile and a hesitant nod; he didn't want to return to France. It was not America, and there was no Hercules in France. His own best friend was here, that should have been enough to keep him here in America, and yet, he simply couldn't stay. "I've been meaning to ask you something", he hummed, earning a curious glance in response from the Frenchman, and so he continued, "How the hell were you at that party the other night?" he chuckled, and Lafayette only grinned.

"I could ask you see same. Mon ami, Tommy, of course!" He stated as though it were obvious, and the nickname 'Tommy' caused Hercules to raise a brow, making Lafayette explain himself, "Tommy visited France when we were children. We ran into each other, he asked for directions, and I learned he was from America! I have always loved America, so I asked him what it was like. We became friends and he showed me all of his photos in America. We wrote to each other ever since. I have always wanted to be here and so he organised for my ballet company's invitation to perform here in New York."

Hercules was surprised to say the least. Firstly, Thomas did something for Lafayette that was selfless. A rare action for the Virginian. In all the years Hercules had known and been friends with that man, it wasn't often that he did something for someone else, just because he wanted to. The only thing Thomas gained was seeing his lifelong friend, seemingly. Secondly, he was surprised beyond comprehension how, out of everything, Hercules had pretty much met Lafayette through Thomas. Thanks to Thomas, Lafayette was here. And he didn't even know Thomas had any part to play in the entire thing. He felt the fact that they shared a friend and met through such a rare and odd occasion was surely down to fate.

"Thomas and I met through my friend, Alexander. They work together- _hate_ each other. I reckon it's because they're too alike but yet somehow complete opposites at the same time", he laughed, and Lafayette grinned softly, "That's crazy, huh? We share a friend and we had no idea."

Lafayette nodded, squeezing the hand once more and earning a small squeeze in return from Hercules, "Oui, it's like... it was meant to be, non?"

Hercules' stomach did a little twist and he nodded, unable to stop the grin from invading his expression. When he looked at Lafayette, Lafayette was grinning also.

Hercules and Lafayette sat beside the tree for hours, but time flew by so quickly. Before they knew it, it was getting dark. They got up and continued to venture around the park, Lafayette giggling as Hercules would show him all the other places that his memories were embedded. As it got colder with the late evening, Hercules draped his jacket around Lafayette's shoulders, and as he did so, Lafayette took the opportunity of their closeness to peck Hercules' cheek and utter a small 'thank you' in French, which made Hercules feel a little drunk.

It was 9pm when they left the park, having spent hours together. By the time they left, Lafayette now had a small collection of flowers in his hands that he had picked, some with Hercules' help. They were all blues and whites, and Lafayette held them close to his chest, seemingly pleased with the tiny bouquet.

Hercules walked Lafayette back to his hotel once more, and Lafayette thanked him for doing so. He felt like a pain for requiring Hercules' help to return to his temporary home, but he was also glad, as he got to spend more time with him.

"Thanks for today, Laf. It was even better than I'd hoped for it to be", Hercules spoke with a quiet laugh and the Frenchman only grinned.

"Thank you too. It was perfect, Hercules", he hummed, returning Hercules' coat before placing another kiss to his cheek, causing that same drunk feeling to hit Hercules. "Will I see you again, soon?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

"How about tomorrow?" Hercules hummed softly, gently reaching up to brush a stray curl that had fallen onto Lafayette's cheek, tucking it softly behind his ear. He let his hand linger as Lafayette seemed to tilt his head into the touch, giving a nod. His face lit up as he did so, and so did Hercules' own. "Great. I can't wait. Goodnight, Lafayette", he hummed, voice quiet and soft.

"Goodnight, Hercules."


	9. Chapter 9

As the weeks went by, Hercules and Lafayette only grew closer and closer. They had met almost every day, to which Alexander had often joined them, too. Mostly though, Alexander was busy with a new friend of his own, named John Laurens, who Hercules hadn't met yet but had heard plenty about.

Alexander and Lafayette got on like a house on fire, which sometimes caused Hercules to worry. If they were left alone together, with no one to keep them in order, they'd likely cause an explosion. Alexander was fluent in French and so sometimes, Hercules was left out of the conversation as his friends spoke in a different dialect, but he was slowly catching onto a few things. What made him smile about this was the fact that his best friend was getting close to his love interest, and vice versa. What was even better than this though, was the fact that when Hercules was left out of the conversation, Lafayette's hands would slip into his own, keeping Hercules with him. It was comforting, that even when they weren't directly speaking, Lafayette clearly wanted Hercules to be a part of it somehow.

When they weren't together, they were texting or calling, constantly. Hercules' sleeping schedule was picking up to be pretty damn good, his eyes looking brighter with every passing day. He thanked Lafayette for this. Since being with him, he had felt better. He wasn't so on edge and anxious all the time, he could sleep, he managed his work on top of meeting up with Lafayette and Alexander, too. Things had never been going so well for him, and he was utterly grateful.

As the weeks went by, it also seemed that the two were forgetting one thing; Lafayette's stay was not permanent. Hercules' previous hesitance to get close to Lafayette in fear of being hurt when he left was long gone, because he just did not think about such repercussion. He was too happy, and that mattered most at the moment.

Presently, Hercules was sat with aforementioned Alexander and Lafayette. To his surprise, Lafayette had arrived with a Thomas Jefferson in tow. Hercules grinned as he spotted Jefferson approach, to which both Alexander and Thomas shared the same expression of, 'what the fuck you didn't tell me he was coming'. Thomas and Alexander sat as far away from each other as possible, which wasn't very far on the small bar table. Lafayette ignored the tension between the two- seemingly oblivious to it and just content on being beside Hercules.

They were on their third bottle of wine now, their shirts a little creased and their cheeks all pink with alcohol to thank. They weren't drunk just yet, but tipsy. Lafayette moved to sit closer to Hercules at the bar table, at one point they shared a joke and laughed together, their noses brushing together gently, somewhat resembling an eskimo kiss of sorts.

Lafayette took Hercules' hand into both of his own, smiling down at the hand he held, "I will miss these hands, Hercules", he whispered, as though he were afraid that saying it would only make it worse. Hercules' face fell as the words were said aloud, something he had not thought about since their first date. He looked down at their hands too before looking up at the now sad Frenchman. Lafayette looked as though he were almost teary, his once neat bun now rather messy with soft curls framing his face nicely.

"They'll miss you", he joked, causing Lafayette to smile slightly, but it did not rid of the sad expression. "When do you leave?" he asked hesitantly. As much as he did not want to ask the question, he had to. He could not deny the fact that he would have to say goodbye to him soon. His chest tightened when Lafayette looked up at Hercules, brows knitted and a frown on his lips.

"In four days."

Four days was all he had left with Lafayette. This man had stolen his heart in all of 3 and a half weeks, and it wasn't fair that he had to leave. Lafayette had stated before that this was possibly his only chance to ever visit America, and so Hercules had to admit to himself that this was possibly the only chance they would ever see each other. He could visit Lafayette in France, sure, but finding the time was the problem. He couldn't abandon his business as if he did so, he would not have money. But his business was demanding, there was little chance he would be able to just set the time aside in order to see Lafayette, even for just a few days. As much as he wanted to say fuck it and give it all up, it wouldn't end well. He'd worked so hard, for his mothers sake and her legacy, he couldn't give it all up. Lafayette wouldn't allow it.

Hercules was beginning to hope that the time Lafayette had to leave wouldn't come, but so far, it hadn't, so the odds were out the window. He was still having to leave, and now he only had four days to spend with this man. They had gotten so close in such a short amount of time, and Hercules felt stupid for allowing it to happen. He could only blame himself for this. A part of him wished he had just taken his own advice and deleted Lafayette's number, but a bigger and more honest part of him was grateful and mad at himself for even thinking that. The idea of continuing without this man only made his chest tighten. He was struggling to picture it.

"We'd better make it the best four days of your life, then." Hercules said after a while, giving a sad smile. Lafayette returned it, gaze slipping down to Hercules' lips before he leaned in, closing the gap between them at long last.

In the several weeks of being together, they still had not shared their first kiss. Hercules wanted to kiss Lafayette every moment he got, and so did Lafayette. They didn't voice this, both silently waiting for confirmation that they both wanted to. But, as they were short for time, they did not want to wait any longer.

Hercules' eyes fluttered shut, immediately returning Lafayette's gentle kiss. It felt perfect. His chest felt warm but tight at the same time, and his stomach flipped. After waiting so long, he finally relaxed a little into the kiss, for having wanting to kiss the Frenchman for so long was beginning to get frustrating. He brought his free hand up to gently caress Lafayette's jaw, and he felt Lafayette's hands happily squeeze Hercules' hand that was safely tucked into them. The kiss lasted a few moments, full of emotions that they didn't want to stay aloud, and when they pulled back they smiled.

"Are you two done?" They heard a slow, bored voice that belonged to Thomas ask. They jumped, looking over at the Virginian who sat, leaning against the table with a sombre expression, and an angry gremlin sat beside him. Hercules grinned at Lafayette, the sight of their friends, who were slowly learning to tolerate each other, causing him to laugh. Lafayette thought the same thing, rolling his eyes.

" _ne plus faire l'enfant_ " Lafayette said with a grin, to which Thomas scrunched up his nose in defence, and Alexander huffed.

"He started it", they both said pointedly at the same time.

* * *

When Hercules climbed into bed that night, he felt deeply saddened. With the weight of he and Lafayette's fate on his shoulders as well as the alcohol's affect on him, he felt terrible. He closed his eyes, sighing heavily.

Now that he was alone, he pictured what it was going to be like when Lafayette left his side for good. He pictured it would be like this. Silence, him being alone and sad. It would hurt more than this when he had to say goodbye to Lafayette, that he was sure of.

He looked at the time, 1am, and frowned with a chest that ached. Three days now. He rolled over on his side, tears threatening to spill as his mind thought about one thing; Lafayette. He hated himself for becoming so attached to him in such a short amount of time, and yet another part of him argued that he wouldn't have it any other way.

Twenty minutes passed and he still couldn't sleep. He sat up in the dark, opening his eyes. He couldn't sleep because of these thoughts that burdened him. Thoughts of what it would be like if he hadn't have met Lafayette, but even worse, what he was going to say to him when he had to say their goodbyes. He wondered if Lafayette felt the same, but he didn't want to ask. He felt that if he did ask, and Lafayette did feel the same, it would only intensify these feelings. He'd feel guilty, as though it were his fault for Lafayette's sadness- as he was the one who had established this entire relationship. He would also feel worse because Lafayette would be on the same level as him and there was no way to comfort him.

He jumped when his ringtone filled the room and he furrowed his brows, quickly picking up his phone. He never got calls at 1am. He was shocked to see that it was Lafayette calling, but immediately answered without hesitation, panic and dread filling his stomach to the point he felt sick.

"Lafayette? What's going on, are you alright?" He asked quickly, voice hurried and clearly fearful; worried Lafayette was hurt in any way.

He was met with a soft sniffle and a shaky voice, "Hercules, everything is fine. I am sorry it late, I just needed to", he paused, hesitating for several moments.

"What is it, Laf?" Hercules asked softly, frowning. The sound of Lafayette's voice made his chest ache.

"I wanted to hear your voice, Hercules. I do not like being alone here- without you, I mean. I can not stop thinking about going home."

Those words hit Hercules with a force as strong as being hit by a bus. He didn't know what it felt like, but he was certain this was it, if not worse. "Give me fifteen minutes okay?"

Once their call ended, Hercules shot up, grabbing his shoes and his keys before he left his apartment. He didn't give a second thought to it- Lafayette needed comfort, and he knew exactly what to do. He didn't care that it was almost two in the morning, Lafayette was crying.

He reached Lafayette's hotel and entered the building, running up the stairs as fast as he could to find Lafayette's hotel number; he didn't have the patience for the elevator. Once he was there, he knocked, he didn't give two shits about the people inhabiting the neighbouring rooms or waking them with his loud knock.

The door flew open almost immediately, revealing a teary eyed Lafayette. He sniffled, giving a small, "Herc", before Hercules pulled him into his arms.

They stayed like that for several minutes, Lafayette letting go of tears he had been trying to stop, just leaning into Hercules' hold and wrapping his arms tightly around the other mans neck, not wanting to let go. He sighed as Hercules' palm rubbed circles into his back, hushing him ever so gently as he pressed kisses into Lafayette's temple.

Once Lafayette was able to hold back what ever tears he could, he stood up straight, removing himself from the hug to grab Hercules' hands. He pulled him inside, closing the door behind them.

"I am sorry for this, Hercules... I did not mean to disturb your sleep", he mumbled softly.

"No, you didn't. I was already awake", he hummed and Lafayette gave him a concerned look, to which Hercules brushed off, "I'm glad you called, Laf. I couldn't sleep thinking about... this mess of a situation. Don't apologise for anything."

Lafayette nodded slowly, looking down as he headed over to his bed, which was still made. He sat at the end of it, resting his elbows on his knees with a sigh as he caught his head in his hands.

Hercules watched him for a moment with a frown. It caused him physical pain to see Lafayette like this. Just as he suspected, it hurt more to see Lafayette upset than he thought. He hoped to never see this, he hoped that Lafayette would always be happy, but his hopes hadn't come true.

He walked over to Lafayette, kneeling on the ground in front of him before gently cupping his cheeks and lifting his head. "Hey", he whispered, forcing the other man to look up at him. They locked eyes, both their faces looking tired and sad. Hercules' thumbs gently wiped away the rest of the tears that had fallen, before he furrowed his brows. He didn't know what to say to Lafayette to make him feel better, he was convinced there were no words.

This time it was Hercules who leaned in, closing the space between them with a loving, slow kiss. Lafayette returned the kiss with a small sound, his hands making their way to Hercules' shoulders. Soon, Hercules was shuffling closer as their kiss grew more passionate and desperate, neither of them wanting it to end. After a few moments he stood, pushing Lafayette lightly to lay down as he positioned himself on top of him, his arms resting either side of Lafayette's head as their bodies rested against each others.

It wasn't long until Lafayette's fingertips found Hercules' t-shirt, pulling it off of the other before throwing it aside and out of the way, Hercules copying his movements with Lafayette's own shirt. He began to kiss downwards, over the Frenchman's jaw and neck and then his shoulders, his hands moving over his chest and stomach, feeling and trying to memorise each dip and curve that took shape in Lafayette's perfect body. Lafayette gave small sighs at the kisses and the touch, fingers carding through Hercules' hair.

Hercules spent the night with Lafayette, their night passionate and loving. It allowed them to express everything they felt toward each other, and overall, Hercules couldn't believe what had taken place. It was mind blowing, for the pair of them. Once it was over, he pulled Lafayette into his arms, pulling him into his chest. Their tears had long stopped, now they were calm, relaxed. They were quiet, afraid of ruining the moment, as all they could think about was the fact that was probably the first and last time they would do that together. Hercules gently stroked through Lafayette's hair, which was now untied. Lafayette gave a hum of appreciation, planting tiny little kisses to the top of Hercules' chest, making Hercules smile. "Thank you", he hummed softly, causing Lafayette to look up at him with a smile.

"Who says thank you for sex?" he teased, cheeks red.

"I mean for everything, Laf. Thank you for everything", he chuckled, kissing his forehead lightly, noting the way Lafayette's eyes briefly closed at the grace of affection. "But yeah, thanks for that, too."

Lafayette laughed softly, scooting up higher so that he could rest his face in Hercules' neck, sighing in content, "I want to stay like this forever."

"Me too", Hercules whispered in response, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to sleep and let time fly through his grip, but effectively, he was exhausted from the wine and the recent events that had just taken place between he and Lafayette. He was quite in disbelief, really. After being upset that they were parting soon, they had just probably made it worse by becoming even closer; physically and emotionally. He decided bravely that it was a problem for another day, likely three days from now when he would inevitably say goodbye.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Hercules smirked slightly, "Laf, you realise it's three in the morning and you probably just woke the entire building; saying my name the way you did." the way Lafayette had called out Hercules' name was truly sinful, and definitely way too loud.

Lafayette's face reddened deeply once he realised what Hercules was talking about, and he looked up at Hercules with wide eyes, " _Mon amour_ , do not say things like that!" he laughed either way, blush only growing darker as Hercules kissed his cheeks. Being called 'mon amour' made him smile, made him feel incredibly loved.

"It was cute, Laf. I loved it." he reassured him, but what he wanted was to say was 'you'. It felt stupid, they had met hardly a month ago, and yet his feelings were undeniable.

"Je t'aime, Hercules", Lafayette mumbled against his skin tiredly as he stuffed his face back into the crook of his neck, relaxing into the man.

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ne plus faire l'enfant - I do not speak French but I believe this to be the French translation of 'grow up'. Here's where I found it https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-french/grow-up 
> 
> Thanks for reading <3   
> Also I'm debating writing a Lams story where you can see how their relationship in this story develops? It would also entail Alex and Thomas' friendship blossoming, but I'm not sure anyone would want to read it, I'm not very creative sorry


	10. Chapter 10

When Hercules woke up the next morning, he felt a warmth all over himself, enveloping him. He leaned into the warmth, too tired to care what it was, until he recalled the events of the previous evening that he shared with Lafayette. He opened his eyes quickly, so to check that it was not a dream, before he smiled down at the sight before him.

Lafayette remained where he had fallen asleep, curled into Hercules with a peaceful expression across his face. His chest rose slowly before deflating even more slowly, Hercules noted that when his hair was down it was rather unruly, as it lay pretty much everywhere; Hercules _loved_ it. He gently brushed his fingertips along Lafayette's back, feeling all the dips slowly with a smile; he was so perfect. It was a couple minutes until Lafayette woke up also, sighing happily at the relaxing feeling of Hercules' hand on his back.

He blinked his eyes open, yawning quietly before he peered up at Hercules, resting his chin on the others chest. After a moment he flashed him a rather cheeky looking grin, "Mon amour, good morning", he practically purred.

Hercules melted at both the words and the way they fell from Lafayette's lips, his other hand gently moving to push the hair from Lafayette's face, admiring him with a gentle murmur, "Did you sleep well?"

Lafayette nodded, catching Hercules' hand with his own as it retreated from playing with his hair, lacing their fingers, "Very well. You make an excellent pillow, Herc", he said with a grin, "Did you sleep well?"

Hercules chuckled, nodding softly, "Yes I did, thank you. Very well, too." he brought Lafayette's hand up to his lips, pressing small kisses to his fingertips softly before Lafayette giggled, causing Hercules to look at him; the giggle was unexpected and made Hercules feel delightedly startled.

"That tickles, Hercules", the Frenchman hummed, tilting his head to the side as he watched the other man, eyes full of fondness. Hercules only repeated the actions with a soft chuckle, and soon enough Lafayette was shuffling up to replace his hand with his lips, kissing Hercules lovingly.

The kiss was gentle and sweet, the two boys smiling as they pulled apart. Hercules would have more than happily spent the entire day like this; watching Lafayette and giving him kisses wherever he could reach, just watching the way Lafayette would welcome and lean into them happily, and Lafayette would do the same, too. But they didn't have much time left together, which meant that Lafayette wouldn't be able to get to see all of the things he wanted on his trip if they did spend all day in bed. Hercules' face fell a little as he remembered they only had three days with each other, and Lafayette gave him a knowing look. Hercules glanced at the clock on the wall before giving Lafayette a soft smile.

"Wanna go get some coffee?" he hummed, and Lafayette gave a nod of appreciation for coffee, it was definitely what he needed.

* * *

The two got up and showered before they left for coffee, going to their usual coffee shop and taking their usual seats. Lafayette insisted on paying this time, which made Hercules' cheeks heat up. There was usually a slight battle in deciding who was paying; both wanting to treat the other, but Hercules usually did not allow Lafayette to pay. He thought it was the least he could do. Instead of sitting opposite each other like they usually would, Lafayette took a seat on the same couch as Hercules, which only pleasantly surprised him. Hercules wrapped an arm around Lafayette, kissing his cheek as they sat and talked, sharing jokes as they teased each other lightly.

They didn't spend too much time drinking their coffees and once they had finished, Hercules gave Lafayette the most grand tour he could possibly give in one day. They saw the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, then they headed to a museum where Lafayette was in awe at all the dinosaurs; ignoring anything but the dinosaurs, causing Hercules to grin. They spent the entire day doing tourist things that Hercules usually would have despised, but with Lafayette it was so easy and amusing. Mainly because of how happy Lafayette got at the smallest things; 'Oh look an American sign!' he had cried at one point, pointing to a road sign. Hercules only laughed and patted his back encouragingly, nodding softly as he was forced to explain what it all meant.

The entire day, they didn't stop smiling. Hercules was smiling because of Lafayette and the way he lit up any room he was in without even trying. He'd hate to see Lafayette actually try to cheer him up, he'd probably implode. Lafayette was seemingly pleased with all the sightseeing and important landmarks he had been aching to see, but the main reason for his constant grin and racing heart was the fact that every time he looked over at Hercules, the man was looking at him, too. Their new bond was becoming stronger with each minute they spent at each others side.

The next day was the same, though with less sightseeing, as they had pretty much done it all the day before. The next day, the only sightseeing was taking a long walk through Central Park. Lafayette was looking forward to seeing Central Park, though he voiced aloud to Hercules that it was nowhere near as nice as 'Hercules' Park, which he now called it. He thought this because at 'Hercules' Park, there were fond and important personal memories that the tailor had willingly shared with Lafayette; now full of fond memories for Lafayette, too. He thought that their date in that Park was very special, and so Central Park too was special, but not as special. Hercules was glad that Lafayette thought this, as he did too.

On the third day, Hercules had a surprise for Lafayette. He told him to meet him at the Park they had been to on their second date ( _Hercules Park_ , Lafayette enthusiastically responded to this request), to which Lafayette gladly did. When he arrived, he did not see Hercules straight away. He waited at the entrance for a minute or two before he ventured inside, wondering whether Hercules was already there. He found himself approaching the tree that had Hercules' initials and past memories, to which he spotted Hercules himself perched under on a blanket. Lafayette's eyes widened excitedly as he spotted him and immediately ran toward him, launching himself at the other man.

Hercules caught him with a laugh, wrapping his arms tightly around Lafayette, "Did'ya miss me?" he said with a grin, earning an enthusiastic nod, to which he squeezed Lafayette, "I missed you too." He didn't voice it aloud, but this caused his chest to ache. It was their final day together, and Lafayette was acting as though they were reuniting after a long time apart, which only made Hercules think that this might be what it would be like if they do meet after Lafayette's return to France. It was a loving and happy moment but it also had underlying, quite depressing, sentimental tones to it. The fact that in a few hours this would all be just a memory as Lafayette would be gone made him ache all over.

"Herc, what is this?" Lafayette asked with watery eyes once he finally pulled away; he didn't admit his thoughts either, and Hercules kept an arm around his waist, not wanting to bring it up just yet.

"A picnic, Laf", he said fondly, unable to take his eyes off the other as he watched Lafayette's eyes widen, giving a small gasp. Finally, he had learned what a picnic was. It was the best surprise he had ever gotten.

"Hercules! It is amazing!" he cried, grinning widely at the tailor as he sat close to him, their sides touching. "You did this for me?"

Hercules rolled his eyes as though that were even a question, "Of course", he'd do anything for him, "Sorry the sandwiches aren't homemade, but I figured you'd like to try some classic Subway ones, you know, get that all American experience in there. I also have your favourite coffee and some muffins, as well as a few other little snacks. Here, look", he hummed, setting the picnic basket down closer to Lafayette.

The Frenchman peered inside curiously before giggling softly, hugging Hercules once more, "This is all so perfect. I cannot thank you enough, Herc!" he said happily, and Hercules laughed fondly. He didn't think that he would get such an enthusiastic response in all honesty, he didn't think it would mean so much to the Frenchman. But it seemed that Lafayette was excitable, and he was certain that he could do anything and Lafayette would be pleased about it. He adored that about him.

"It's nothing." He gave a shrug and a grin, picking up the sandwiches and placing one into Lafayette's hands, kissing his cheek gently. "Bon appetit."

Lafayette grinned at Hercules' use of French, taking a bite out of the sandwich. He gasped softly as he ate it slowly, "Authentic American sandwich is amazing!" Hercules grinned, nodding softly in agreement as he ate his own.

Once they had finished the sandwiches and the snacks, they lay down on the blanket. Lafayette rolled over on his side, effectively snuggling into Hercules' chest. Hercules didn't think twice about wrapping his arms tightly around the other, kissing his forehead. They were quiet, both deep in thought, until Hercules spoke.

"How long left?" he whispered, not making eye contact. If he looked at Lafayette, he would likely break down.

Lafayette frowned, fingers brushing through Hercules' short curls. "Five hours."

It wasn't enough time. Hercules squeezed his eyes shut, jaw tensing. His chest ached, and all he could do was nod. Lafayette watched Hercules, his own chest tight as he thought about returning home. He didn't feel that France was his home anywhere. He belonged here in America; with Hercules.

Neither of them knew what to say. Five hours would fly by, it always did when they were together. Lafayette closed his eyes and rest his head on Hercules' shoulder, letting a few tears slip past his guard.

"Laf, you have to say bye to everyone", Hercules spoke after a moment, the idea that he wouldn't have Lafayette to himself caused him even more physical pain, but it had to be done. He heard a little sniffle and immediately sat up, pulling Lafayette to sit in his lap. "Hey, don't cry. We've still got some time together, let's make it the happiest few hours, okay? If we don't we will regret it."

Lafayette looked up at Hercules as the other cupped his cheeks, locking eyes with him. He nodded after a moment or two, smiling slightly. Hercules was right, if they spent their time crying together, they'd get home and be upset with themselves. "Will you go with me to say goodbye?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I will." he said, voice reassuring. He'd do anything Lafayette asked of him. "I just need to stop at my apartment to drop all this off, is that alright?" Lafayette nodded in response.

The walk back to Hercules' apartment was more lighthearted than it had been at the park, the two holding hands as they laughed and joked around, Hercules repeatedly kissing the back of Lafayette's hand, to which made the Frenchman melt.

Lafayette wasn't expecting it when Hercules opened the door to the apartment and allowed Lafayette to enter first. He walked into the apartment unsuspectingly, startling almost violently once he saw all of his friends waiting with grins on their faces.

" _Merde!_ " he gasped, jumping back in surprise.

"Surprise", Hercules muttered, wrapping an arm around Lafayette's waist from where he stood behind him, "Thought you'd appreciate them being in one place at the same time", he hummed, referring to his friends.

Lafayette smiled brightly, tears pricking at his eyes. Hercules as the most thoughtful person he had ever met, and the fact that he was surrounded by his close friends who were equally as thoughtful just made him want to stay even more.

Thomas flung himself, tears streaming down his own face as he hugged Lafayette tightly. Lafayette immediately hugged back, letting his own tears fall too. He repeated this with everyone; Alexander and George, Maria and every other person he had become friends with since being here. He hugged Hercules last, his expression showing how utterly grateful he was for what Hercules had done for him. Hercules was about to shrug it off shyly when Lafayette kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Lafayette in return.

From the sidelines, Alexander patted Thomas' back with a look of dislike on his face, though his actions said that it was mainly an act. Thomas nodded at Alexander, James Madison handing Thomas tissues every few seconds.

The large group of friends sat close, all squeezed onto the small couches in Hercules' living room, speaking fondly of each others time spent together. Hercules had the most to say, but the fact that the room was full of their friends meant that he could not say it all out loud.

Once Lafayette was distracted, he slipped out of the room, his chest so tight he couldn't breathe. He sighed heavily and shakily, burying his face into his hands. He stayed like this for a few minutes until he heard a small voice.

"Herc?"

He turned, seeing Lafayette smiling sadly at him. He didn't want to concern Laf, and so he smiled back, holding his arms out. Lafayette stepped forward into Hercules' arms, hugging him tightly. They didn't speak for a while, just embraced each other, silently acknowledging each others tears that now streamed down their faces.

"I have something for you", Hercules mumbled quietly. Now that they were alone, it may have been the only chance he got to give them to Laf. He pulled away, to which Lafayette gave a quiet grumble of dissatisfaction at the loss of their hug, but Hercules only smiled as he opened a kitchen cupboard.

He handed the other a neatly decorated box, to which Lafayette smiled warmly at, "It's _beautiful_ , Hercules", he whispered, fingertips gently brushing over the patterns.

Hercules laughed, stroking the hair from Lafayette's face, eyes only on the other. "Open it, love."

Lafayette's head tilted to the side softly before he opened the box, his chest throbbing at what was inside. Inside was a scarf that Hercules knitted himself, in Lafayette's favourite shade; yellow. He picked up the scarf, eyes watery, before he spotted more items beneath it. A tacky mug with 'New York' written on it- which Hercules knew Lafayette would love, and he was right. There was a postcard, as well as photos of the two that they had taken together. Not just of them, but photos Hercules had asked his friends for; Thomas and Lafayette, George, Alexander, he didn't miss a single person out. There was one small box within the box, and Hercules picked it up before placing it in Lafayette's own hands. Lafayette furrowed his brows before he opened this box too, revealing a beautiful, dainty necklace inside. His eyes widened further, and he wasn't aware that he had been crying the entire time. "Herc-" he sniffled, unable to get the words out. Hercules gave a sad smile, pressing his lips to Lafayette's gently.

Their kiss was gentle and loving, and as they kissed Hercules carefully slipped the necklace around Lafayette's neck. "I love you", Lafayette whispered against his lips, his fingers white as they now fisted tightly at Hercules' t-shirt.

"I love you, too." Hercules whispered back, holding onto the other man as tightly as they could.

When the time that Lafayette had to leave arrived, it was the worst Hercules had felt. It was worse than all the anxiety filled nights, than the panic attacks, or the crying in the shower over how stupid he was. He felt so awful that he was almost numbed by it, yet at the same time, it was the most intense feeling of sorrow he had ever felt.

He and Lafayette held hands the entire way to the airport. Their eyes were red and puffy from tears that had now been falling for hours.

"Hercules, I love you. I wish to stay- but I can't!" he said frustratedly, his chest aching, "I want to stay by your side, Hercules. I will _never_ forget you." He furrowed his brows, doing everything in his will to stop himself crying, but it all failed. "You will not forget me, non?" the thought that Hercules would forget him plagued him, the hurt evident in his voice as his mind teased him.

Hercules shook his head so fast it made him dizzy, "No. Never, Lafayette. I couldn't. I love you too, more than anything. Just.." he wanted to say more, there were so many words he needed to say, but his lips wouldn't let him. He needed to say things, about how he would spend every moment he got thinking about the other, how he will never move on from this. But for some reason he just couldn't. He thought it would make it worse if he did. He had to let Lafayette move on, and if he said these things, he would not do that. "Be happy, alright?" was all he could say.

Those words sounded so final. 'Be happy'. It was ridiculous, and Lafayette's tears actually stopped due to the shock of those words. He did not expect something so final. Lafayette, as realistic as he was, did not want their last words to be final. Lafayette, usually realistic about all situations, needed hope. For them.

"Oui.. I will, Hercules. You must be too." he said softly after a moment. The two shared one last kiss before Lafayette left Hercules' side.

Hercules couldn't watch Lafayette leave, he turned around began to walk, letting more tears flow in silence, fists balled. Lafayette took one last glance at Hercules, it hurt to watch as Hercules walked away, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I greatly appreciate it. 
> 
> But is it the final chapter?? 
> 
> NOPE


	11. Chapter 11

When Hercules arrived home, it didn't feel like home anymore. He entered his apartment, looking nowhere near as bad as he felt, though the tear stained cheeks and red eyes indicated he wasn't doing his best, by far. He let out a shaky sigh as he glanced around the apartment, the aftermath from Lafayette's surprise gathering awaiting him, as though to laugh at him cruelly. He cursed with a heavy sigh, slamming the door shut behind him.

He tried to clear the mess the best he could, though the mess was all that was left of Lafayette now. He was certain that an empty and clear apartment would only be worse. It only took a few moments until he was breaking down, knees giving in as he began to let out loud, violent sobs that almost made him choke. It was too much, and he wished that on top of everything that he would have had the balls to give Lafayette a better goodbye than he did. At this thought, he smacked his fist down on the coffee table, causing an empty glass to fall and shatter. He didn't care, and he couldn't find it in him to move. He lay there, a heavy feeling of loss and grief settling over him. He hadn't cried so much since his mothers passing; now he had lost Lafayette, too.

A long distant relationship just wouldn't work. They would miss each other so much, their time zone differences would make it difficult to talk, and the demanding schedules of their jobs would mean that they would struggle to find the time to see each other at all.

Unfortunately, this left no options on the table for them. No option other than goodbye; remaining friends at the very least. Hercules wasn't sure if that was a good idea either, though. Being friends with Lafayette would only make it even more difficult to move on, or at least learn to be okay with the situation.

He jumped slightly as his phone began to ring; Alexander calling at possibly the _worst_ time, though that gremlin never was good with timing in any matter. He couldn't speak right now, and he didn't want to particularly speak to anyone, so it wasn't a personal attack when he threw his phone across the room, ignoring the cracking sound it gave in protest to his outburst. The phone only continued to ring, over and over, and so Hercules grabbed a cushion and covered his head with it, trying to drown out the noise angrily.

He startled even louder when he heard a loud and frantic knock at the door, to which he scowled this time. Alexander was his best friend, sure. But he needed to learn when Hercules needed space and time alone, that was one thing he wasn't being so great at right now. He ignored the knocks, deciding that if he pretended he wasn't home, Alex would leave. But, after a minute or two, the knock came again, this time louder. Hercules glared now, wiping his eyes.

He headed to the kitchen sink, splashing water over his face to try and make himself look less like a crying mess, before he hesitantly moved to the front door. He pulled it open, sighing softly, "Alex, what?" he mumbled in an unwelcoming manner that would hopefully deter his small pain in the ass of a friend.

Alexander was silent, and after a moment Hercules looked up at him in confusion with a tilted brow. To his shock, it wasn't Alexander, and he thought he was going insane now. Great, after a day like this, of course, who wouldn't have gone insane?

" _Mon amour_ ", a small voice came, sounding unsure and full of concern and worry. Hercules stared at Lafayette in disbelief, eyes wide and lips parted, and if Lafayette wasn't so heartbroken too, he'd have laughed at the reaction he received.

"L-Laf?" he said slowly, voice betraying him and breaking. Lafayette nodded, his own eyes wide. For a moment, they didn't even know what to say or do.

"I could not do it, Hercules", he finally said softly, clearly shocked at himself and his actions, though obviously more relieved than anything.

It took too long for them to hug, until Hercules was certain that he wasn't straight up hallucinating. He grabbed Lafayette and pulled him close, arms tightly secured around him as though to never let go. Immediately Lafayette returned the hug, his hold just as tight and needy, and the two let out little sobs as they held each other. They jumped when a suitcase was dropped, the person in question drawing attention to themselves.

Alexander and Thomas stood with folded arms, looking as though they'd been crying too (Thomas almost as bad as Hercules at one point, and currently he was still a dramatic mess), but now they looked smug and pleased. Thomas spoke first, "Lafayette cornered me and made me drive him here."

Alexander chuckled, nodding, "We were fighting, so naturally, I was brought along."

Hercules laughed, motioning for them to join the hug, to which they did. Thomas and Alexander shared truly disgusted looks at each other once they realised they were technically hugging each other, but they didn't pull away.

"We'll let you two be, then", Alex spoke, punching Jefferson not so playfully on the arm, making Jefferson frown angrily.

"Will we, _hell!_ Gilbert's been my best friend since childhood- he decides to stay in America and you expect me to _leave_? With _you?"_

Thomas and Alexander were on the verge of a full scale scrap, so Lafayette cleared his throat.

"Thomas, I will call you later, oui? I just need to talk with Hercules alone. Forgive me, mon ami, but I will see you tomorrow." Lafayette spoke softly, and Thomas gave a reluctant nod, smiling small.

The words Lafayette spoke filled Hercules, as well as Lafayette himself, with a great sense of happiness. ' _I will see you tomorrow_ '. Hell, they could see each other every single day, whenever they pleased, now.

Once their friends had taken their leave, Hercules pulled Lafayette to sit at the couch with him. "What happened?" Hercules asked softly, pulling the blanket over them both as a tired and worn out Lafayette curled up into his chest.

"I was about to board, but I could not stop thinking about how miserable I was at leaving! The idea of being in France make me so sad, Hercules. I do not want to leave you, I want to stay with you! It did not feel right to say goodbye to you."

Hercules smiled widely, listening to Lafayette's words, "Fucking hell, I'm so glad. This feels like a dream." he hummed, kissing the top of Lafayette's head, the contact assuring him that it was real. "I can't tell you how glad I am, Laf."

"It has always been my dream to be here in America, and since falling in love with you, cherie, I realised that it is my dream to be _here_. In your arms just like this." the way Lafayette spoke was so utterly cheesy that if anyone else said such things, it would be revolting. But Lafayette had a way with it. It was good on him. Hercules flushed at his words, squeezing Lafayette gently as if to further prove Lafayette's point.

"Here, huh?" Hercules grinned after a moment, and Lafayette gave him a confused glance. "I guess we should make a start on unpacking your things."

Lafayette smiled brightly, his eyes lighting up, "Really, mon cher?!" he looked like an excitable puppy, and Hercules laughed with a soft nod, "Oui! Only, right after a nap. I am very tired, non?" he settled back down, relaxing into Hercules' warm arms, and Hercules' smile only grew.

_"Perfect."_


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some translations of what Laf says to Herc
> 
> mon bonheur - my happiness   
> mon souffle - my breath (it amused me because it reminded me of the dessert)  
> mon coeur - my sweetheart or heart (?)

So far, everything felt like a dream. A really long and realistic dream that Hercules was, happily, not waking up from. Maybe a coma?

His point was that it was all going too, suspiciously, well for him. After such a shit few years to say the least, everything was looking up for him, all down to one person; Lafayette. In just over a month, Lafayette had turned Hercules' world around. Hercules didn't know it, but Lafayette's life had changed for the better too, upon meeting Hercules. They had never been so happy.

Hercules frowned as he stared down at the half empty mug of coffee in his hands. He hadn't realised it, but he had been sat still and silently for five minutes or so, too heavily engrossed in thoughts that weren't particularly kind.

"Mon amour", Lafayette spoke gently, stepping over to Hercules where he wrapped an arm around the mans shoulder, leaning down to press a tender kiss to his forehead, "Is something making you upset? _I kill it."_

Hercules smiled as he heard his boyfriends voice bring him back to reality, humming gently and leaning into the warm touch that Lafayette offered. At the threat, his peace was a little disturbed, "You don't need to kill anything", he said quickly, causing Lafayette to give a slight tilt of his head, resembling a confused puppy. Hercules felt a warm smile spread across his lips as his eyes softened. He gazed up at the other, "I'm just thinking. You don't need to worry."

This did not deter Lafayette's worry, though. He was an intuitive person, stubborn and relentless when he needed to be, observant and most importantly, caring. All of these things led to love and affection that Hercules was almost startled by, having never experienced it before. This meant that if something was even remotely wrong, Lafayette could practically sniff it out, and there was no hope of keeping it secret from him. "But you are sad, non? I do not allow that, mon souffle, tell me what is going on." Lafayette's words were tender, the love spilling from each word, though it was clear that he was not letting this go; his words leaving no room for argument.

Hercules smiled and turned to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the others slim waist; one of their favourite places to rest. "I don't deserve you." he hummed, his eyes scanning Lafayette's own, expecting the Frenchman to come to his senses; agree and flee, though Lafayette's brows only knitted in what seemed to be shock and a clear lack of faith in such accusation, "I mean it. I don't get it. What you see in me- I'm..." he paused, looking for the right words. He couldn't find them and stood with a sigh, glancing away as he felt his chest tighten, "You could get anyone, yet you pick me. You deserve someone amazing and kind, someone who can support you and make you the happiest person on the planet. It's not fair on you that you're stuck with me."

Lafayette looked offended and he retracted his hands from where they lay on Hercules' shoulders. He stood up straight and defiant, stepping back from Hercules. "I am sorry, you think that I could do better than _you? Impossible!"_ His voice was loud and higher in pitch than usual, sounding as though he had just received the cruellest of insults and nothing could compare to the offence, "You do not think that I am already the happiest person on the planet? That I wake up every day with a smile because of who lays beside me?! No one could _ever_ compare to you; mon bonheur!" His eyes were wide, filled with tears, and Hercules was clearly taken back. "Never have I ever met someone as beautiful and kind as you. Do not stand here and question your worth, _don't you dare_."

Hercules stared at Lafayette, unable to process what he had just heard. The firmness and the certainty that lay behind the words was incomprehensible to Hercules. The fact that Lafayette truly felt this way was astonishing, and Hercules had never regretted his own words like he regret them now. Simply because Lafayette was actually upset with him, and what he had said. He did not think about the consequences, that Lafayette could _possibly_ be offended by what Hercules felt deep down.

Lafayette watched Hercules with a grim frown, refusing to let his tears slip. "Do you hear me, Hercules?"

Hercules nodded slowly, still in shock, though after a moment he let his own tears slip silently, and Lafayette's eyes softened. Lafayette wasn't mad at Hercules in particular; he was angry with how the world had treated his boyfriend, who was the definition perfect. He was angry with whoever or whatever had caused Hercules to think of himself as less than what he was; flawless. He stepped forward, throwing his arms back around Hercules, and his boyfriend returned the gesture, sniffling quietly. Lafayette closed his eyes as he held his boyfriend, rubbing circles into his back as he listened to him cry softly. It was heartbreaking, that Hercules really felt this way about himself, and frankly, frustrating that he did not see himself the way Lafayette saw him, because Hercules sure as hell deserved to know his worth and how fantastic of a human being he was.

When Hercules was given reassurances like these, he accepted them, though he did not believe them. He thought that people just didn't see what he saw, or that they were lying through their teeth right to him. But for once, he had no reason to doubt such reassurances, or the way Lafayette regarded Hercules. He felt a particular emotion he had never felt before, a sense of pride. If Lafayette believed this, then that was all he needed. If Lafayette was happy, then he wouldn't change a thing. He squeezed his boyfriend lovingly, glancing around at their newly decorated kitchen and living room.

It hadn't occurred to him that, for a long time, his apartment didn't feel like home. It was missing something, the whole time. When Lafayette moved in with him, they decorated it with pictures of themselves and their friends, bouquets of flowers that Hercules would buy for Lafayette every few weeks, pieces of themselves that were wonderfully scattered around the apartment, claiming it as their own. It was only when Hercules looked around now, with Lafayette in his arms, the scene entirely domestic, that he realised he had been missing one thing the whole time; Lafayette.

Now that he had it, everything fit perfectly into place, for the both of them. Hercules decided that he no longer wanted to change, not in the slightest, because he had someone who loved him for everything he was. He felt just the same about Lafayette; he didn't want him to change for anything.

He pulled away from the hug once his tears stopped, moving his hands to cup Lafayette's jaw gently, smiling at him, "Thank you. I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it <3 let me know if there's any improvements i could make in the future as to how i write or anything.  
> thank you for reading x
> 
> although, unfortunately for you, this is only the end of this particular book, i plan on doing a couple more extra pieces on their own as little one shots. for example, laf and herc on a date or getting a pet or something, so it'll be the same universe written separately to this book. otherwise i will be writing this forever and that's bad but easily done.  
> seriously though thank you for reading this shit that no one asked for x


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